Dragonearth
by Blacksoundwave
Summary: Natsu is a fire drake newly born in a world where dragons live alone, away from humans. As the only hatchling, it's just him and his parents, but life couldn't be better; Until a black dragon's assault ruins everything. Alone and injured, he is exiled to a strange country where dragons live beside humans. I adopted this story from Darkfire1220 and the first 30 chapters are his work
1. Fire Born

Chapter 1: Fire Born 

Crack.

He struggled to free himself, desiring to leave the cramped space of his egg. He could sense something large, warm, and safe just outside. All he wanted was to break free and meet the huge presence that felt familiar, even though he'd known nothing but the inside of this egg.

Crack.

A hole breached the shell as he jerked his head up against the top. Excitement ran through his blood. He was so close. Just a little more, and he'd be free.

Crunch!

Summoning every ounce of strength in his tiny body, he used his tail to push up and ram into the top once more. And this time, he forced his whole head through the small breach he'd made.

He sucked in his first breath of fresh air and opened his eyes wide. The space around him was huge, dark, and lit with a low orange glow of something that was warm and flickering. It intrigued him, so he sought to get closer, but his attempt to walk resulted in his egg falling over. He squeaked in surprise. He'd forgotten that only his head and neck were free, not the rest of his body. At least the ground was soft. He briefly wondered if he should fall asleep, but a mixture of instinct and curiosity kept him awake.

There was a deep rumbling, but it seemed…nonaggressive. In fact, it was laughing.

"Oh, little one, however do you plan to go anywhere like that?"

He rolled the egg so he was on his back. At first, he was alarmed by the strange voice, but his fear was quickly replaced with calm. He knew this creature, even if he'd never seen it.

A huge, dark pink head loomed over him. The light blue eyes gazed down at him softly with a deep affection.

The creature snorted with amusement, it's voice light, "Do you need help, little one?"

"Don't help him, Sunrose. A drake fights his own battles."

The new voice was far deeper, more masculine. And it was more intimidating than the first one. As he looked to the side, he also realized the second creature had a much greater bulk than the first, and its body was covered in dark red scales.

"Oh, Igneel, can't you see how eager he is?" the first voice chided, "He wasn't supposed to hatch for another week. But he's already out and seeking the fire. I've never seen a hatchling come out that early. I know you haven't, either."

"All the more reason to let him break free on his own." Igneel grunted, "He'll get even stronger because of it."

Sunrose nipped Igneel's lower jaw, "Strength is important, I admit that, but so is kindness, my dear. I don't want to watch our son become vicious like that black beast. It would break my heart."

Igneel hesitated, but then relented. The huge red creature leaned down so it was right in front of the tiny hatchling, who recoiled slightly. When Igneel's tongue slithered out and jabbed at the eggshell, the hatchling snapped at it in alarm, not sure whether the strange pink snake was friendly or not, but not willing to take his chances.

Igneel reared back with a slight hiss, but Sunrose laughed, "Who's not strong? He's fierce enough to attack a dragon a thousand times his own size!"

"He surprised me is all." Igneel grunted, shaking his head and licking his lips, as if to check that his tongue was undamaged.

The hatchling was still belly-up and watching the two titans above him with hesitation. While he knew he liked the pink one, he wasn't so sure about the red one. It may have just tried to eat him, after all.

Instead, Sunrose leaned down and gently pressed her nose to the small egg. She murmured softly, "Little one, I'm going to help you out of there. Do you understand?"

He didn't really, and to be honest, he didn't have a clue what she was saying, but he trusted her. What other choice did he have? If he agreed, at least he had a chance. If he didn't, he might be dinner. But the hatchling sensed that the female at least, meant him no harm. She was his only protection.

Sunrose opened her jaws slightly and revealed huge, gleaming white fangs. One of them slowly came down on the egg and pressed. For the huge pink dragon, the movement was delicate and not necessarily easy, but the egg almost shattered from the force she put on it.

The hatchling found the rest of his body was freed and rolled so he was upright. He tried standing, but squeaked when his legs wouldn't support him for more than three seconds and made him flop over.

Igneel grinned, "Not as strong as he thinks, eh?"

"All hatchlings have weak legs at first." Sunrose reminded him, "You were no different, and neither was I. That he can get up at all, since he hatched early, is impressive enough."

"And now, for a name…" Igneel muttered, leaning down once more to look at him. His huge eye rolled over the hatchling, appraising every inch of the small body.

The hatchling's scales were a dark red, not as dark as Igneel's, but more of a ruby color. Starting along his jawline, pink marking in flame patterns ran down his neck to end at his chest. Two fleshy casings on his back marked where his wings were still developing.

His neck was long and slender, as was his tail, which accounted for nearly half of his total body length. The hatchling's teeth were small, but sharp. (As Igneel's tongue had discovered.) His claws were also sharp, however small, and pitch-black, just like the small, still-growing spikes along the hatchling's back.

In all honesty, because of his small size, just a little more than three feet, the hatchling resembled a large lizard with two oval shaped bubbles on his back. And that was if he stopped wobbling. At this point, he looked more like a strange, wriggling snake.

Igneel looked the hatchling over for several more moments until he finally decided, "The shades of red and salmon are warm colors…And he's got a fierce attitude to go with it. Like the hottest days in summer."

"Summer…" Sunrose brought her head down to gently lick the hatchling's forehead. He shivered at the touch, arching like a cat with a purr to match. The female dragon hummed happily, "Then his name is Natsu?"

"I believe it suits him." Igneel murmured, a toothy grin appearing on his face.

Natsu looked up at Igneel and, what in his mind was probably a roar, barked at the huge red dragon.

Igneel bellowed with laughter, "And I believe he agrees."

"Natsu, then…" Sunrose whispered to the hatchling. Her eyes watched him with a softness that Natsu instinctively was drawn to. He knew who she was now. Though just out of the egg, he knew enough to know that this female dragon was his mother.

Natsu wobbled over to her on unsteady legs and tried to climb over her tail. Sunrose's eyes followed him wherever he went, until she used her tail to gently shift him so he was nestled close to her body.

Now he gazed up at her with bright, expectant eyes.

Sunrose leaned down and opened her mouth ever so slightly, then, with great care, breathed out a small stream of fire. In fact, it was more like sparks, since she was being as careful as she could.

Adult dragons rarely held back their breath's true power, after all. Being a first-time mother meant learning on the go. She would get the hang of it, eventually, but for now, Sunrose still struggled to not douse her son in the usual blaze of fire she created. Even though he was a fire dragon, he was also just minutes old. She didn't know how well his scales would hold up, and frankly, she wasn't going to find out the hard way.

Sparks or not, the flame lit up the soft floor material easily enough, and Natsu wasted no time.

Instinctively, he crouched down by the small flame, opened his mouth, and breathed in sharply. The flame flickered, then was drawn to his open jaws, where Natsu swallowed it down. He coughed at first, shaking his head at the sensation of flame going down his throat, but his hesitation only lasted a few moments. When Sunrose made another small fire, he devoured it without the slightest problem, and continued to do so until his belly was full.

Natsu, satisfied and fairly tired from his introduction to the world, circled around unsteadily a few times, settled down, and fell asleep on his mother in three seconds flat.

Sunrose licked his small body again lovingly, "Sweet dreams, my little one."

Igneel grunted, "Don't burn the nest too much. You have no idea how many sheep it took to make this."

"There's always more." Sunrose reminded him, "Besides, I'll learn how to control my flame better soon. I'd like to see you do this."

"Do not tempt me, my dear." Igneel chuckled, "I might accidentally incinerate the cave."

She sighed, "It's too bad he didn't have any nest mates…"

Igneel lay his head on top of hers gently, humming to soothe her, "It's probably best he was the only one. Can you imagine how exhausting it would be to watch three or four more hatchlings scurrying around? We'd have to watch our every step so we didn't crush them. And the drakes try to kill each other at first sight, even when they can barely walk. I think we were lucky, considering this is our first clutch."

Sunrose frowned a little, "I suppose…well, even if there was another drake, we could have separated them-"

"Sunrose." he rumbled firmly, but not unkindly, "There will be more eggs in time, my dear. For now, just learn what we need to so Natsu grows up to be a great dragon. He will have siblings in the future, do not doubt that. But just for now…he is our only hatchling. We must care for him alone."

The female set her head next to Natsu on the soft wool and hummed in response, "Yes…I know you're right, my love…"

Igneel curled his huge body around his mate and hatchling, laying his great skull down beside Sunrose's and Natsu's tiny, sleeping form. He inhaled their scents in one deep breath, feeling a surge of protectiveness come over him.

The great fire dragon remained awake for a while, even when Sunrose had fallen asleep a while before. His gaze was fixed on the tiny dragon still sleeping peacefully at its mother's side. Igneel opened his jaws and let out a soft breath of warm air, which made Natsu shift a little in his sleep and purr.

Rest well, my son. Igneel thought. You will need your strength. This world is not kind to the weak. You must become a true dragon if you are to survive at all, and something even greater than that if you are to find happiness in life. Rest well, Natsu…


	2. Igneel

**Okay, so before anything else, a quick note:**

 **/ means a scene change.**

 **/\/\/\/\/\ means a time change**

 **Anyways, the next few chapters will be skipping good amounts of time as Natsu grows up, but I won't skip anything important. So as always, please review and thanks for reading!**

Chapter 2: Igneel's Dilemma

Natsu spent his first day trying to walk.

Even with four legs to carry his weight, the little dragon did not have it easy. Since he technically wasn't supposed to hatch for another week, his musculature was underdeveloped. That meant that he was having more luck sliding on the floor than actually walking around.

It was comical to watch, at least.

Sunrose kept an eye on him the whole time with amusement, as Igneel had flown off early in the morning to go hunting. She would try to help Natsu keep his balance by allowing the hatchling to bite the tip of her tail, keeping him up just enough so he'd be able to stand on his own.

Twice he had to rest after nearly an hour of trying to find the strength in his legs. Sunrose hummed him to sleep and curled around the tiny dragon until he was ready to try again.

Eventually, Natsu snorted in frustration and whined unhappily, having given up on walking.

Sunrose brought her great head down and breathed warm air onto her son, "Little one, don't give up. The dragon who stops a hunt halfway is the dragon who starves to death. Follow through to the end, Natsu. You will find your strength."

While the hatchling was still too young to understand everything she was saying, he understood that she was scolding him. Reluctantly, he struggled to his feet once more, looking up at his mother for some sort of approval.

At Sunrose's gentle smile and nod, Natsu attempted to walk around again, grabbing onto her tail for support. She urged him on, giving helpful bits of information at frequent intervals.

"That's it, Natsu. Use your tail to balance- no, don't drag it."

"Little one, you're not a frog. Two feet at a time, not all four."

"Natsu, whatever are you trying to do? Dogs chase their tails, not dragons."

While Sunrose attempted to correct him, she sensed that Natsu, still blissfully unaware of the meaning of her words, rather enjoyed seeing her miffed about his antics. When she tilted her head at him, he mirrored her, staring up with an innocent look.

He was most definitely enjoying this.

Her tail tip twitched, "You're playing me, aren't you?"

Natsu happily proceeded to chew on her tail.

"You cheeky little drake!" she laughed.

Perhaps Igneel was right about us being lucky with only one hatchling. Sunrose thought. Natsu alone is going to be a handful at this rate. I shudder to imagine what we'd have to go through with two or even just one more little dragon.

/\/\/\/\/\

It took hours longer, but eventually, Natsu found his balance. Even underdeveloped, he pulled it off, much to Sunrose's joy. And in fact, just minutes before Igneel returned with a deer in his claws.

While he was rather impressed that Natsu had already learned how to walk on his own, now came another important lesson. Igneel dropped the deer in the center of the cave and tried to gauge Natsu's reaction to it.

The little dragon sniffed the dead creature, trying to figure out what it was, but upon getting deer hair in his nose, he recoiled and decided he did not like the unmoving pile of fur. Instead, he looked up at Igneel and Sunrose with that expectant look. He wanted fire, not this furry thing that made his nose itch.

Igneel sighed, "Natsu, you have to eat. Fire can keep you going, but it won't do anything for your health. You must get some real food in your belly for once."

Natsu, having not been given some tasty fire yet, was not impressed. He made a small growling noise and slapped his tail on the ground.

Sunrose hummed with laughter, "I think you need to show him a little more."

"Oh, very well." Igneel grunted, then leaned down so he was right over the deer.

Natsu watched curiously as Igneel took a deep breath, then spat a fireball onto the deer. The little dragon leaped back and lost his balance, making him hit the ground with a surprised squeak. He quickly got back to his feet, sniffing himself to make sure everything was in place, then stared at the deer.

Or what was left of it. The fur had been totally burned off, and the skin cooked well-done.

Natsu looked from the charred deer to his father uncertainly.

Igneel leaned down and muttered, "Watch, Natsu. Bite it like this." He sank his huge fangs into the back leg of the deer, then pulled back, effectively severing the limb from the animal. Igneel crunched it twice, then swallowed.

Now Natsu was more interested.

Actually, that might have been an understatement. Now that he realized it was food, the little dragon pounced on the deer and sank his teeth into it voraciously, tearing a chunk off and gulping it down in a flash.

Sunrose put a stop to that very quickly, "Don't do that, you'll choke yourself!"

Luckily, he hadn't choked on the first piece and seemed to understand, for Natsu started eating the deer slower, and chewed the meat before swallowing.

Relaxed now that her son was no longer doing something hazardous to his health, Sunrose waited until Natsu was finished and glanced at Igneel, "Did you eat earlier?"

"Just a little." Igneel admitted, "But I'll catch one or two more tomorrow. You can have that."

Sunrose took the remaining half of the deer in her jaws and literally downed the meal in one go. She sighed with satisfaction, "Oh, that was good…"

"You've spent too much time in here, my dear." Igneel rumbled, "Maybe you should hunt tomorrow. I can watch Natsu."

She seemed reluctant to leave her son, even with his own father, but Sunrose's wings ached to fly. It had been nearly two months since she'd flown, for she had spent every hour in the cave beside Natsu's egg. That was something most females did, if not all, but it could stress them when the time came to fly again. Her muscles had shrunk from disuse, so it would take a while to get back in shape.

Sunrose was strong, though. She'd be soaring again in a matter of days.

"Hm, I suppose I will." she decided.

"Good." Igneel rumbled.

Natsu looked up at them without a clue in the world and squawked.

His parents looked down at him with disbelief.

He was hungry again.

/\/\/\/\/\

Sunrose didn't actually go hunting until Natsu was a week old. She'd tell herself and Igneel that she was going to fly out in the morning, but Sunrose was reluctant to leave her son. Her deep affection and instinct to guard him made it tough for her to just fly off and let Natsu stay behind with his father.

But finally, Igneel managed to convince her to go hunting. That said, Sunrose paused before she flew out of the cave.

"Remember to watch where he is." she told Igneel, "He's quick. He'll get under your feet before you know it."

"I know, my dear." he replied.

"He usually gets hungry around midday. Give him fire, but not too much, or he won't eat later."

"I know, my dear."

"Oh, and don't let him stalk the bats in the back of the cave. They're probably diseased."

"I know, my dear."

"What else…Oh yes, make sure that you play with him for an hour or two. If you don't, he won't be tired later and we'll never get any sleep."

"I know, my dear."

In fact, Igneel was already plenty aware of Natsu's usual daily routine. Igneel was his father, after all. But he let Sunrose advise him simply because he knew better.

No matter how you cut it, mother is always right.

Sunrose finally ran out of things to keep Igneel on his toes and lowered her head to look at Natsu for a moment, who was staring at her curiously. She licked the top of his head and murmured, "I'm going out for a while, little one. Don't worry, I'll be home as soon as I can."

Natsu stared at her while his tail tip twitched. He was starting to understand things his parents said now and then, but from what he knew, this was usually only something Igneel said.

When Sunrose turned away, walked out of the cave, and flew off, Natsu scurried after her with a squeak of panic.

Igneel lay his tail down and blocked his path, looking down at his son with a stern look, "You will stay here, Natsu. Your mother will be back by sundown."

Natsu was still trying to clamber over his tail in an effort to pursue Sunrose, but Igneel sighed and wrapped his tail around the little dragon. He lifted him up carefully so Natsu was eye level with his father.

The great flame dragon rumbled, "Little one, Sunrose will return. Do you understand?"

Natsu stared back at him for a few moments, then his head drooped slightly. He looked unhappy.

His father knew just how to handle that.

Igneel set Natsu down and licked the little dragon's forehead. When Natsu looked up at him again, the great flame dragon offered a toothy grin, "Shall we play a game?"

That got Natsu's attention. He knew that word, 'Game'. He liked playing games with Sunrose, but could Igneel play games?

Igneel set his tail down a few meters away from Natsu and made it twitch a little.

Natsu was drawn to the movement instinctively, and watched the twitching with great interest.

"Well?" Igneel said, still grinning, "Are you going to try hunting?"

His tail twitched again and Natsu immediately fell into a crouch.

Igneel watched with amusement. He knew ANY young drake would go after a moving target.

With a third twitch of his tail, Natsu couldn't wait anymore and bolted for the scaly appendage. Igneel dragged it back sharply, but not so far that Natsu couldn't reach it.

He wasn't going to make it easy for the little dragon. This was an important lesson, even if Natsu didn't realize it yet.

Natsu growled and leaped again, trying to pin the tail down with an attack from above, but Igneel moved it just out of his reach and stopped again to twitch some more.

The movement of his tail and the challenge that came with trying to catch it was irresistible to the little dragon.

Natsu made a barking roar, then lunged with every bit of speed he had. Igneel was actually surprised for a moment by how swift his son was, but he got his tail out of the way nonetheless. That said, Natsu managed to nip it just slightly.

Igneel hissed with satisfaction, "Yes, that's it, Natsu! You almost had me there!"

While Natsu was too busy to acknowledge his father's praise, he shot after the twitching tail and tried to catch it once more.

/\/\/\/\/\

Igneel continued to dodge Natsu's attacks until the little dragon was panting for breath. He was impressed with his son's stamina: For a week-old hatchling, Natsu was able to pursue his father's tail for nearly an hour nonstop.

Finally, Igneel deliberately kept his tail still and allowed Natsu to pounce on it. The little dragon bit the appendage and used his claws to pin it down, then once Igneel's tail had, 'died' he lifted his head and made another barking sound in an attempt to roar.

Igneel chuckled, "Yes, that was good, Natsu. Prey won't stand a chance against you."

Natsu looked up at his father and offered a tired little grin. He was still panting in an effort to regain his breath, but he looked much happier than before, Sunrose's departure all but forgotten.

"Well, I suppose it's time for a nap, eh?" Igneel lay down and used his tail to bring Natsu close to his body until he was nestled against his father's side.

Natsu yawned and curled up, then closed his eyes and fell asleep almost immediately.

Igneel brought his head down to rest beside Natsu, his eyes focused on the sleeping form.

Then Igneel too, closed his eyes and drifted off.

/\/\/\/\/\

When the flame dragon awoke, the light was already fading from the sky. He frowned at that. Just how long were we asleep?

That was when he noticed something else important: Natsu was no longer nestled beside him.

Igneel froze. So. Not. Good.

He took a moment to make sure he hadn't accidentally squashed his son in his sleep. Nope, nothing there. Igneel glanced towards the back of the cave. Maybe he'd gone for a drink at the shallow water pool? Nothing. Not a scale in sight.

Now Igneel was starting to get fairly worried. Sometime today, Natsu, I'd like you to tell me where you are. Preferably before your mother gets home!

He shuddered at the thought. If Sunrose found out he'd lost their son because he overslept…

Igneel sniffed the air furiously, trying to find his son's scent, but Natsu had been in the cave for a week. The whole place smelled like him.

He started searching the cave by working his way from the back to the front, looking in every nook and cranny for a sign of Natsu. Halfway through, and he'd found nothing.

"Hellfire, Natsu, where are you?!" Igneel snarled in panic.

Then he heard a squeal.

Igneel stopped dead. No way.

Slowly, his eyes trailed straight up.

Natsu was upside down, staring at him with a surprised look on his face.

The little dragon had been on his head the whole time.

Igneel wasn't sure if he wanted to collapse in relief or growl in irritation. So he settled for a rumbling sigh, "Natsu, that wasn't funny."

To his credit, Natsu didn't look amused at all. He was still a little alarmed by his father's earlier anger.

The flame dragon lowered his head and allowed Natsu to clamber off of his great skull. Natsu turned around and stared up at his father with wide eyes, uncertain if he'd done something wrong.

Igneel was more annoyed at himself, now. How had he not noticed the little dragon sleeping on his head? No one can ever know about this, he swore to himself.

He shook his head and murmured to his son, "I'm sorry, Natsu. I was worried I'd lost you."

Natsu kept staring, but relaxed a little. He seemed to realize he wasn't in any trouble.

"Just remember to let me know before you climb on me again, will you?" Igneel asked.

Lord knows what would happen if I failed to notice him on my back before I went flying. He shuddered at the thought, then licked Natsu's forehead reassuringly, "Let's go to the front of the cave. Sunrose should be coming home soon, I expect."

Natsu brightened at his mother's name and promptly led the way to the cave entrance.

Igneel sighed again. Well, that could've been worse. At least he didn't fall off.

With another shake of his head, the flame dragon followed his son to lay down by the cave entrance in anticipation of Sunrose.

/\/\/\/\/\

It was well after dark when Sunrose finally came home. Natsu had long since retreated to the nest and fallen asleep again, but Igneel remained waiting.

She landed in the cave with a small sheep in her claws, panting from exhaustion.

Igneel sniffed her in concern, "My dear, you look terrible."

"Just..tired…" she gasped, "Haven't flown..in..so long…"

But Igneel's eyes narrowed. He looked her over and found something he didn't like. "Sunrose, did you go to the human town in the north?"

She nodded, "Yes…I couldn't find any deer..so I-"

"-Failed to notice that there is an arrow in your belly." Igneel growled, eyeing the weapon with anger.

Sunrose twisted her head to stare at the arrow, which was dripping blood from where it had pierced her. The wound was not deep, but it had gotten through her scales. She shook her head, "I didn't notice…Must've been a farmer…"

"Lie down." Igneel grunted, to which she complied. He got the arrow between his teeth and pulled, taking it out with ease. Igneel dropped the weapon and sniffed it for a moment, then growled, "You're lucky it wasn't poisoned. Don't go hunting the human's herds anymore. It's too risky."

"Natsu needed food…" she murmured.

"Your life is not worth a single sheep." Igneel snarled. He wasn't angry with her: Igneel was just upset that she'd been wounded and he was unable to prevent it.

That's what a drake was supposed to do. Take any attack for the sake of his family. They weren't ALLOWED to be hurt. If anything, he was furious with himself.

Sunrose pressed her nose to his cheek and whispered, "I'm sorry I worried you, my love. But don't be so angry. It's just a scratch..it will heal."

Igneel sighed, "Just don't go hunting by the humans anymore. They have a deep-seated hatred for dragons. I can't say I blame them, but it means we cannot afford to interfere with their kind. Leave them be from now on, Sunrose."

She nodded and got up, then crawled to the nest. Igneel picked up the sheep and followed her.

He cast a backwards glance at the arrow, then raised a foot and stomped it. The piece of wood and metal was crushed to smithereens.

Sunrose lay beside Natsu and rested her head beside him. The little dragon stirred and woke up, then squeaked happily. His mother laughed slightly, "I'm happy to see you again too, Natsu. I'm sorry I'm late."

Igneel roasted the sheep and dropped it beside them. Natsu took a brief moment away from his mother to tear into the meat and gulp down a few pieces before he returned to Sunrose. He was more than a little happy to have her back.

Sunrose glanced at Igneel, "How was he?"

"He was fine." the flame dragon answered, "We played a game, took a nap, and played another game. Then we waited for you."

Natsu's temporary disappearance was more of a game, after all. Hide and seek, he could call it. What Sunrose didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

She frowned, "Did he eat anything?"

Igneel's tail twitched, "You know, he didn't seem hungry at all today. I think he was just too busy playing."

Sunrose seemed to consider this for another moment, then dropped the subject and turned her attention back to her son. Natsu was still ecstatic to see her again, squeaking every now and then as if to tell her this.

The female dragon smiled, "You missed me, didn't you, Natsu? I missed you a lot, too. Were you good to your father?"

At this, Natsu seemed get an idea and fell into a crouch. Sunrose watched him with slight confusion until her son tried to pounce on Igneel's tail, which was quickly withdrawn from his reach. She hummed with laughter, "So, that's what you did to keep him busy."

"That's it." Igneel agreed with a smirk, "Drakes can't resist a moving target. Well, that's what Metalicana told me, anyways."

"Ah, that's right, he has a son too, doesn't he?" Sunrose remarked. She shook her head with amusement, "How that stubborn drake cares for an infant is beyond me. It doesn't seem like something he would do."

Igneel chuckled, "Well, he and Brightsteel are doing it. What was their son's name again…Gajeel? Yes, that was it."

Sunrose nodded, "Well, perhaps Natsu and Gajeel will be rivals when they get older. You and Metalicana are, after all."

"It wouldn't surprise me one bit." Igneel grunted.

Natsu had apparently used their conversation as a chance to eat some more, then walked back over to Sunrose's side and snuggled close to her warm body. His mother hummed, lulling his senses with the vibration until he was asleep once more.

Sunrose curled her body around him and fell asleep quickly as well, exhausted from a day of hunting.

Igneel snapped up the rest of the sheep, then walked to the front of the cave to stare out into the night. True, they didn't really need a lookout because the cave was high up in the side of an inactive volcano, which was near impossible to reach for all but dragons. But something in the air kept him staring out into the dark, still as if he were stalking prey.

His eyes found an orange glow that couldn't be the sun. Igneel focused his gaze on the strange light until he realized what it was. With a glance back at his sleeping mate and son, he flew off silently to the top of the volcano, awaiting the glow's arrival.

/\/\/\/\/\

Igneel waited for nearly half an hour before the orange glow reached him. Of course, it wasn't just a glow anymore.

He dipped his head, "It's been quite some time, Atlas Flame."

"Indeed it has, Igneel. I'd wondered where you planned to raise your family. I should have guessed it would be here. Your father brought you up here, didn't he?" the blazing dragon replied.

Igneel grunted, "Yes, he did. Though back then, the volcano was still alive. What brings you here, Atlas? I don't think Sunrose would appreciate another drake so close to the nest, no offense to you."

Atlas chuckled, "None taken. Actually, it's really just you I need to speak with. Then I'll be on my way."

"Alright, so what is it?" Igneel asked.

The blazing dragon's tone became quiet and more serious, "He's heading west."

Igneel's eyes narrowed, "Acnologia?"

Atlas Flame nodded and muttered, "He attacked the Shadow Cliffs three weeks ago. Skyadrum was crippled, but he survived."

To say Igneel was shocked would have been an understatement, "What?! But…couldn't Skyadrum have escaped? He's the most elusive dragon I know!"

"He was guarding his son, Rogue." Atlas growled, "Not unlike you. Thankfully, the hatchling survived, but Skyadrum's mate was not so lucky. I'm sad to tell you that Shadeheart has died."

Now Igneel was more than a little alarmed. But he kept his calm and stared down at the rock with a whisper, "I see…that saddens me…"

Atlas Flame was silent for a time, then sighed, "Igneel, I must ask you to return to the Flame Capital. Bring your family, stay with the other fire dragons! You will be safer with us. Even Acnologia wouldn't dare take on an entire city of dragons."

"I can't, Atlas." Igneel murmured, "Sunrose would never allow it. Natsu is far too young and small to be moved now, anyways. He would not take the journey well."

Atlas hissed, "Blast, Igneel, you're the Flame Dragon King! By rights, you should be at the capital, anyways!"

"This is how things have always been." Igneel growled, "And there is a reason for that: I will not endanger my son by dragging him to live alongside drakes that would seek to end his life so they could be King. I can't take the risk, Atlas. Please understand."

The blazing dragon hesitated, which Igneel took as a chance to further prove his point, "You are one of my most loyal drakes, but that is why you should know all too well that dragons like Smaug wouldn't hesitate to kill Natsu. I won't bring him until he can defend himself."

Atlas Flame sagged in defeat, "I had a feeling you'd argue me out of this. At least I tried, but I understand."

"Thank you, old friend." Igneel murmured, "I'm glad you sought me out, however dreary the news. I appreciate it."

Atlas nodded, "Well, that's what I'm here for. Are you sure we should just leave you? Surely a small group of our dragons on the edge of this territory for patrol couldn't be too big a security issue?"

"I know it would make you feel better, but no." Igneel replied, "You know how it is. Natsu won't be brought up as some regal child with everything laid out for him. He will learn to fight his own battles as a true dragon would."

"That doesn't surprise me at all." Atlas remarked, then decided to change the subject, "Natsu…Summer. Thinking about it, it does suit the son of dragons such as you and Sunrose. I long to meet him."

Igneel snorted with amusement, "You will in time, old friend. But I must ask you to fly home before Sunrose realizes you're here. It wouldn't be a pleasant sight, however good friends we are."

Atlas laughed, "Indeed. A fiercer dragonelle, I have never met. I shudder to imagine what she'd be like as a mother defending her young. Well, be safe, Igneel."

The flame dragon nodded, "And you, my brother."

Atlas Flame took off and flew away. Igneel watched him go until he was once again just an orange glow on the dark horizon. Then he flew down to the cave and padded back to the nest for sleep.

His mind wandered around the concept of Acnologia discovering their home. Igneel would've snarled out loud had his family not been there.

Just try it, you black beast. Just try and lay a claw on my mate and son. I'll burn even your ashes after I kill you.


	3. Dragon Jewel

Chapter 3: Dragon Jewel

Igneel's worry over Natsu's small size was quickly made pointless.

His growth was explosive. At a month old, he'd more than doubled his original size. Natsu was easily seven feet long, and when standing up, he hit the four foot mark with little trouble. And now he wasn't so light that Igneel couldn't notice if he climbed onto his head again.

That said, he was still nowhere near the size of a small adult dragon, who could average at near sixty feet. Igneel was an easy eighty five, and Sunrose was at seventy. That said, it wasn't like that was their max size. Dragons grew all their lives, but once they reached about sixty feet, which was considered an adult, their growth slowed down considerably.

But in his early years, Natsu would grow at a ridiculously fast pace. It was a survival strategy for dragons, because the young were so vulnerable in their first year of life.

That was another reason why the family was living away from other dragons. While females were usually normal around male hatchlings, drakes had an instinctive urge to kill their competition. Older males were often experienced enough to suppress this urge, which was why they could exist together. That said, if a young drake happened to wander into their crosshairs, an older drake could kill it with ease if they chose to do so.

It wasn't as infrequent as it sounded, unfortunately.

So Natsu would grow up, and grow up fast. Yes, it would slow a little once he got to be about twenty feet, when the sheer amount of food required for his blitz growing would need more time and effort to gather, but until he was at the very least thirty feet, he would have his parent's protection. And he wouldn't reach that size until he was around ten years of age. Furthermore, he wouldn't be considered an adult until about twenty or twenty five.

It was a long commitment for any parent, but for dragons, a decade or two wasn't a very long time. Igneel himself was a drake in his prime, at about 250 years old. Sunrose wasn't far behind, at 220 years. And they could easily live until they were over 1,000. The oldest dragons were almost 2,000 years old.

But at the moment, Natsu was still an infant. So his parents did their very best to make sure he'd be ready when it was time for him to live on his own.

Recently, Natsu had also started to learn how to speak. His words were few and far between, but he knew Igneel and Sunrose by name, what kinds of prey they brought home, and there was hardly a day that went by when he asked when he'd be able to breathe fire.

As usual, the morning was started with the now routine:

"Can I breathe fire today?" Natsu asked.

Sunrose sighed, "You won't breathe a spark until you're ready. It won't be for several years, Natsu."

Natsu didn't like that, so he turned to sniff the fleshy casings on his back, where his wings were still growing. He looked up at Sunrose again, "When will I fly?"

"Just a few months before you can breathe fire, little one." Sunrose told him, "So not for a while."

The little dragon puffed up and frowned, "Why?"

Sunrose licked his forehead lovingly, "Because I want you to stay with me, my sweet."

Natsu protested her action, "Mother!"

Luckily for him, a sound at the entrance distracted them. Igneel landed with a rumble, shaking his head and growling, "Blasted deer! I didn't see a thing in the woods. They must be skittish with the fall coming in. Dumb as they are, I guess they know it's time to move away. There won't be anything in the woods to eat for another half a year. The ground is infertile enough as it is."

Sunrose sighed, "So what do you plan on doing?"

"I've already started." Igneel grunted.

"Started?" she asked.

He hesitated, then growled, "I raided one of the human farms, alright?"

"Oh, is that all?" Sunrose remarked.

Igneel stared at her, "Is that all? Here I was worried sick about you raiding a human farm, but what's with that attitude?"

Sunrose hummed with laughter, "Igneel, I don't have to worry because I know that if someone tried to shoot an arrow at you, they'd likely end up on the well-done side of your cooking. No offense, but you have a terrible temper when someone attacks you, my love."

The flame dragon shuffled his wings and muttered something under his breath, probably reluctant to admit she was right, but also smart enough not to deny it.

Sunrose went on, "So, did you bring something home?"

"I did, actually." he replied, "Though it's a little different than what I usually bring."

"How so?" she asked.

Igneel lay down on his belly and held out an arm, "Natsu, climb on. We're going to the center of the volcano."

Natsu gasped excitedly, "Outside?!"

"Yes, outside." Igneel chuckled.

Sunrose frowned, "For what?"

Igneel glanced at her, "For one of the most important lessons of all. He's learning to hunt, today."

/

They flew out of the cave, then up and into the volcanic crater. The heart of the volcano was just hard black rock now, lava that had cooled and solidified. And in the center, was a sheep. A living sheep.

Sunrose tilted her head as the sheep bayed in panic and ran off to the edge of the crater, but there was no escape for it. "Is that really a good place to start? That fluffy walking cloud can't even defend itself."

"It's his first prey." Igneel rumbled, "Natsu's never killed before, and I'm not about to start teaching him on a bull or a bear. He's not exactly the biggest hunter on the block you know."

Natsu slid down Igneel's tail and landed on the ground with a squeak. He sniffed the ground curiously and frowned, wrinkling his nose, "What is this stuff?"

Sunrose tapped the rock with her claws, "It's volcanic rock. Once, it was so hot, that it was a river of liquid fire. But the volcano died, so the lava cooled and became solid. Like water freezes to ice."

That seemed to excite Natsu even more, but Igneel cleared his throat to get his son's attention, "We're not here to talk about a dead volcano. This is more important Natsu. You're going to hunt."

Now that got Natsu's attention.

He immediately focused on Igneel, but his head tilted, "Your tail again?"

Igneel chuckled, "No, Natsu. You're hunting that."

He nodded towards where the sheep was still cowering at the edge of the volcanic crater.

Natsu frowned, "A sheep?"

Igneel grunted, "Every hunter has to start somewhere. You're not ready to tackle a bull or a or even a ram yet. Once you learn to stalk and kill, then I'll bring you something challenging to hunt. For now…"

The little dragon seemed to get it, "I have to hunt sheep!"

"Exactly." Igneel confirmed.

So Natsu fell into a crouch like he had countless times when practicing on his father's tail and started stalking the sheep.

The livestock was braying with terror, unable to move from the fear of being hunted.

Natsu paused and turned to stare at Igneel, "What's wrong with it?"

Igneel chuckled, "I do believe it's afraid of you. Sometimes it makes hunting easier."

The little dragon processed that, and didn't seem to completely understand, but he shrugged and turned back to hunt the sheep.

It was sort of comical to watch him hunt a terrified animal in a place with no cover. But Natsu did his best to, 'Creep up' on the frozen sheep, then leaped forward and snapped his jaws around its neck. The animal's braying rose to a shriek as it struggled to get free, but even against such a small dragon, it stood no chance. Natsu was instinctively driven to crunch down as hard as he could until he felt the animal's neck snap.

Natsu let go and the sheep toppled to the ground, twitched for a few seconds, then died.

Igneel crowed, "Excellent! You learn quickly."

Sunrose hummed, "Even if it was just a sheep, you didn't hesitate a second. That'll make you a strong hunter in the future, Natsu."

Natsu licked his lips of sheep's blood, and offered his parents a toothy grin, "Want some?"

"You eat first." Sunrose decided, "It's your kill, and if your father and I try and eat some, we'll likely devour the whole sheep in one bite."

So Natsu went to eat, but when he sniffed the air, something else caught his attention. He lifted his head and smelled again. Then he scurried off in the opposite direction, following his nose.

Sunrose followed him with her eyes, "Natsu, where are you going?"

"Sunrose." Igneel murmured, "I think he found something else important."

"Something smells funny…" he muttered. Natsu kept sniffing until he came upon a huge boulder. He scratched at it, "Inside?"

"Close." Igneel came over and gently moved Natsu away with his tail, then braced his huge skull against the boulder and heaved. The rock trembled, then slowly rolled aside.

Behind the shifted boulder was a small inlet in the side of the volcano. Within it, was a beautiful, sparkling ruby in a clear pool of water. The red gem was quite large, easily three feet across, and in an ovular shape. It's rich, deep red color was more than a little dazzling to look at.

Natsu's eyes lit up, "Whoa…"

Sunrose clicked her claws, "Ah, that's what…I almost forgot that drakes had a sense for jewels."

"Jewel?" Natsu echoed.

Igneel nodded, "Yes. Natsu, there is one thing you must learn when you grow up and find a dragonelle that catches your eye. It's an ancient tradition amongst dragons. Humans have long since twisted its meaning, but they are often ridiculous anyhow. Troves of stolen treasure. Bah!"

"Keep on topic, Igneel." Sunrose reminded him, "This is important."

The flame dragon grunted and looked Natsu in the eye, "Like I was saying, one day, you're bound to find a dragonelle that is more…interesting to you than any others."

Natsu blinked, "Interesting?"

"You'll understand when you meet that dragonelle." Igneel said quickly. It was an awkward subject for most parents. Just because he was a 200 year old Flame Dragon King didn't make him any different.

Sunrose, to Igneel's slight embarrassment, hummed with laughter.

So he pressed on, "Anyway, when you find that dragonelle that stands out from the others, you have to find the most precious jewel you can possibly get."

The little dragon stared at him, "Why?"

"Well, like I said, it's an old dragon tradition." Igneel started, "But it's like a…way of saying you're committed to her. That you will always stay with her."

Natsu frowned, "I don't get it."

Sunrose purred with amusement, "Well, you'll understand one day. For now, focus on learning to hunt. You'll learn more about jewels when you get older. So eat your dinner, and then we'll fly back to the cave."

"And Natsu?" Igneel caught his son's attention again, "Don't ever tell anyone that this jewel is here. It is very important to your mother and I. Do you understand?"

"Okay." Natsu chirped, then scurried back to eat his sheep.

Igneel waited until his son was busy eating, then almost sagged in relief, "Whew…I thought we were going to have to explain sky falling to him…"

"That would have been entertaining to watch, my dear." Sunrose laughed, "But you'll have to do it someday."

Igneel muttered something undecipherable under his breath. And may that day be a while to come. Perhaps Sunrose will get impatient and tell Natsu herself.

But somehow, he didn't think he'd be that lucky.


	4. Yearling

**So in this chapter, Natsu is a year old. This is really more about showing Natsu's growth and introducing some new dragons, but the next chapter will begin the major part of the story.**

 **Oh by the way, this chapter has some violence.  
Please review, and thanks for reading!**

Chapter 4: Yearling

One year had passed since Natsu had hatched.

The once little drake was now much more solid, having reached nearly fifteen feet long, with a height of seven feet when his neck was stretched. His scales, once weak and slightly dull, were now tough, and starting to become more vibrant in color. Natsu's claws were long, his teeth sharp, and his eyes quick. The wing casings on his back were gradually starting to swell. It was slight, hardly an inch, but his wings were definitely growing.

His speech had improved greatly over the course of his first year. Igneel had staked his pride on teaching him personally, and had pulled it off well. Natsu could even write basic words out with his claws.

Natsu's hunting skills had been channeled by Sunrose's careful teaching. He'd long since moved on from sheep and had started hunting down deer, boar, and even a bear (Albeit, with difficulty) in the last month. Sunrose had actually let him loose in the forest for a whole day to hunt on his own. He was a menace to the forest wildlife.

His parents couldn't have been more proud of him.

But today was a special day. Because today, Natsu would be meeting other dragons. Dragons that Igneel had asked to come meet his son.

The Flame Drake was already somewhat shifty.

Sunrose watched her mate pace the cave length a few times before she finally interrupted, "My love, you'll tear up the nest if you keep this up."

Igneel sighed, "I just want this over with. I trust Atlas Flame and the others, but I can't believe Smaug is coming here. It's making me uneasy."

"Well, if he tries anything, Natsu has you to defend him." Sunrose reminded, then let out a soft hiss, "And if he so much as scratches a scale on Natsu, I'll shred him."

"Can you stop talking like I'm not here?" Natsu growled. His tail lashed once, "I'm not a defenseless hatchling. I hunted down a bear on my own, remember?"

"Smaug has killed mammoths many times the size of a bear, little one." Igneel remarked, "And with hardly the same amount of effort. He is a fiercely powerful drake."

Natsu scratched at the cave floor, "I'll show him who's stronger. I bet he used his breath to kill the mammoths, right? Well, I killed the bear with my own claws and teeth! Bet he can't do that!"

Sunrose shook her head, "Natsu, just be polite, okay? Don't give Smaug an excuse to dislike you. He doesn't exactly get along with your father, you know."

"Why not?" Natsu asked.

Why, indeed? Sunrose thought, then replied, "Because your father is a stronger dragon than he is. And Smaug must listen to him."

Igneel grunted, "I'm actually a little surprised he's stayed as long as he has, considering his dislike for me."

"Well, Smaug might be a rogue fireball, but he's loyal." Sunrose remarked, "You know that. He's proven it before. He'd just rather be in charge than following a leader."

"I suppose so." Igneel muttered, then stiffened and sniffed the air. He glared out to the front of the cave.

"They're here."

/

The dragons met in the center of the volcanic crater.

Igneel and Sunrose stood side by side, with Natsu's smaller form between them. He didn't like being in such a belittling place, which was not a pun considering that his parents were many times his size, but Natsu knew better than to argue. Even he could feel how tense the air was.

At the head was Atlas Flame, followed by a red drake with ash-gray stripes like a tiger, and a white dragonelle whose eyes were a pale blue, but most remarkably, the irises seemed to flicker like fire.

The newcomers assessed the family and approached cautiously. Well, the red and gray drake did. Atlas Flame and the dragonelle seemed more at ease.

The Blazing Drake dipped his head, "Igneel, Sunrose. It's been a while."

Igneel nodded in return, "It has, Atlas. And this would be…?" His gaze was cast to the flame-eyed dragonelle.

She snorted with amusement, "Oh, right, I didn't have my wings when you and Sunrose left. I'm Fire Lily, remember?"

Igneel muttered the name in an attempt to remember, but Sunrose gasped, "Fire Lily?! It couldn't be! You were so small when we left!"

"Well, I grew, Sunrose." Fire Lily said happily, "It's been so long. I just had to come see you at the first chance!"

Natsu was eyeing the third visitor with the same silence the visitor was using to eye him.

The small drake finally broke the quiet, "You're Smaug, aren't you?"

The other dragons hesitated, but Smaug rumbled a reply, "Indeed, I am. And your name is…?"

"Natsu." he answered, then looked the visitor over again.

Smaug really was a giant; easily ninety foot plus, with a huge head that had several spikes protruding from the base of his skull. Surprisingly, Smaug had no front limbs, but instead had claws on his wing joints that he used to walk instead. His tail was long, with three layers of spikes at the very end. His pale orange eyes seemed to stare through Natsu and into his soul.

The little dragon understood. This drake was far more powerful than he'd originally given him credit for.

Natsu reluctantly decided it would be smarter to act submissively towards the huge drake, so he dipped his head politely, "It's nice to meet you."

Smaug regarded the smaller drake with narrowed eyes, then nodded, "I suppose it is."

Igneel broke the uncomfortable air with a cough, "Anyway…Atlas, Lily, and Smaug, he's already seen to introducing himself, but this is my and Sunrose's son, Natsu."

Atlas leaned down and appraised the youngster from close up, "I've longed to meet you, Natsu. You really do look like your parents. Perhaps more like Igneel, but I hope you've inherited some of your mother's fiery personality. It'll make you into a fearsome drake one day."

Natsu decided he liked the Blazing Drake and chirped, "I'm happy to meet you, too! It gets kind of boring with just my parents around- I've never met another dragon before! Are there other dragons like you that are made of fire?"

Atlas chuckled, "If there are, I've yet to meet them. Though I have heard of dragons made entirely of water, or rock, or even wind. You'll find many varieties of dragon in your lifetime, little one-"

"Igneel, is there anything to eat around here?" Smaug interrupted.

The Flame Drake hesitated, then nodded, "In the woods on the edge of the volcanic land. It's just a mile away. You'll find deer in the thicker parts."

Fire Lily stretched, "You know, I wouldn't mind a deer or two. Maybe we should all go hunt?"

"Not me." Atlas Flame remarked, "Entering a forest is a terrible idea for me."

"Agreed." Smaug rumbled, "So perhaps we should just go in a group of three. Say, myself, Fire Lily, and…" His gaze fell to Natsu.

Sunrose's jaws opened in what was probably about to be a hiss, but Natsu beat her to it, "Sure!"

"Natsu, you don't decide that." Igneel reminded him.

"This is-" Sunrose started.

Natsu gave them a pleading look, "Please? Even if they want to hunt, they don't know any of the good spots. They won't catch anything on their own."

Igneel hesitated. Natsu made a good point, but he tried another approach, "Alright, then I'll go."

"No." Smaug growled, "It's bad enough that two adult dragons are going, but three? We'll scare off all the prey before we even have a chance. Besides, I'm curious to see if your son is a skilled hunter."

Sunrose's scales lifted as she bristled, "That's not something you can-"

"Mother, pleeeaaase?" Natsu begged.

Sunrose looked down at him worriedly, but Fire Lily nodded, "That's fine. You can fly with me, Natsu."

With that decided, Smaug flew up out of the volcanic crater.

Lily brushed past Sunrose for a moment, "I'll keep him safe, don't worry."

The older female stared at her, "If something happens, can you protect him from a drake like Smaug?"

Lily nodded, "I can breathe fire. If worst comes to worst, I'll keep Smaug off long enough for Natsu to hide. I'll die before he gets hurt."

Sunrose dipped her head, "Thank you…"

"It's to be expected, isn't it?" Lily offered Sunrose a smile, "I mean, you are my sister after all. I won't let a bloodthirsty drake like Smaug kill my own nephew."

/

They flew out over the woods for a while until Natsu peeked out over Fire Lily's back and shouted, "Down by that clearing! Land over there!"

Lily and Smaug flew down and landed with surprising stealth, hardly making more than a slight breeze with their arrival. Natsu hopped off of Lily and glanced back at them, "I'll make the herd come your way. Just wait here for a bit, okay?"

Lily stared at him, "Are you sure you won't need any help?"

Natsu spun and growled, "A drake-"

"-fights his own battles." Smaug finished.

Natsu stared at the huge drake with surprise, but Smaug ushered him with a flick of his wing, "Go on."

He nodded and scurried off into the underbrush, leaving Smaug and Fire Lily to wait on his return.

/\/\/\/\/\

Natsu stalked the herd for nearly half an hour. He was doing his absolute best, so as to not seem like a bad hunter to the new dragons. Even if they made him excited, he kept calm and focused.

If I mess up and look like an idiot, Smaug will eat me for sure, he thought.

Suddenly, the herd tensed. Natsu froze. He hadn't actually moved, and the wind hadn't shifted, so he wondered what had made the deer so on edge. Then they started to run.

Now or never! Natsu charged out of the underbrush at top speed and flanked the herd, snapping at the feet of the deer to make them change course towards the waiting dragons.

The herd burst into the clearing with brays of terror. Smaug and Fire Lily were on them in an instant.

While Lily snapped and slashed at them to down a few for the other dragons at the volcano, Smaug literally engulfed a whole deer in one snap of his jaws.

Natsu watched him with awe.

Then Smaug eyed him.

Natsu felt himself freeze under the piercing orange gaze.

The giant drake towered over him and pulled his head back like a snake ready to strike.

Fire Lily gasped, "Natsu!"

Smaug lunged, jaws flying open to reveal sword-sized fangs-

Natsu squeezed his eyes shut, frozen with panic. He's gonna eat me!

But the pain never came.

Natsu heard a sickening crunch behind him, then a loud scream. His eyes flew open and he spun around, staring at the scene with shock.

Smaug had a human clamped in his jaws. A spear was on the ground, dropped from the human's nerveless fingers. More humans were behind them, shrieking in fear of the huge dragon that had just killed their comrade.

In fact, Smaug pulled up and separated the human's torso from his waist. The lower half slumped to the ground with a spray of blood. The huge drake glared at the other humans with Natsu beneath his great neck.

Natsu was stunned. He..did he just save me…?

Then Smaug roared.

It was a bellow unlike anything he'd ever heard before. Natsu dropped to the ground and scrabbled to cover his ears. Fire Lily shook her head with a yelp of pain.

The humans ran for it, their hands over their ears. Even the trees swayed from the sheer force of the overwhelming roar. The earth and sky seemed to tremble in amazement.

Smaug finally closed his jaws and snorted, "I hate humans. Cowardly vermin." He muttered something that was probably a curse as he sniffed the lower half of the human he'd bitten in half, then snapped it up lazily.

"Natsu!" Fire Lily raced over and sniffed him from head to tail, "Are you okay?! You weren't hurt, were you?!"

"I-I'm fine." he managed, still subdued from Smaug's display of power. Natsu found his eyes locked on the huge fire dragon. Why did he save me?

Fire Lily also seemed to be surprised at Smaug, but she put it aside for the moment, "Let's get back to the volcano. Your parents are probably worried sick after hearing that roar."

Natsu's voice was small, "Okay…"

Smaug eyed the young drake and huffed, "You did a good job driving the herd this way, little one."

"Th-thank you." he stammered.

Lily helped Natsu climb onto her back, then flew off with two deer in her claws. Smaug snapped up one more, then went after them.

/

They met the other dragons halfway home.

Igneel and Sunrose flew ahead of Atlas Flame, both of them on edge after hearing Smaug's roar. Once they found their son safe and unharmed, Igneel relaxed, but Sunrose was still pretty frantic. Natsu protested when she attempted to pick him up off of Fire Lily's back. The white dragonelle explained what had happened, while Igneel and Atlas Flame remained quiet and listened.

Smaug said nothing to them, and just kept on flying.

/

The dragons returned to the cave and settled to eat and talk amongst each other.

Natsu was trapped by his mother, unable to leave her side while she made sure that he was really unharmed. He let her worry; Natsu'd never seen Sunrose so distressed, and he was still a little shaken himself. Fire Lily remained beside them, trying to keep her sister calm and ensure her that Natsu was okay.

Igneel and Atlas were having a quiet word with each other, glancing every so often at Smaug.

The huge drake was lying at the mouth of the cave, uninterested in talking or anything else. In fact, he took a nap.

Natsu found his eyes focused on Smaug for the majority of the time. He didn't get it. He just didn't get it.

/\/\/\/\/\

At the end of the day, the other dragons had to leave for the Flame Capital.

Fire Lily and Atlas Flame said goodbye and took off, but Natsu stopped Smaug before he could fly.

"What is it, little one?" Smaug muttered.

Natsu glanced down at the ground, summoned his courage, and looked back top at the huge fire dragon, "U-um, thank you!"

"What for?" the drake asked.

"W-well…you saved me from that human earlier…" Natsu said quietly.

Smaug eyed the little dragon for a moment, then sighed, "That does not require thanks."

Natsu stared at him, "What?"

"I imagine your parents weren't very keen on me flying here, were they?" the fire dragon snorted, "That doesn't really surprise me, but contrary to popular belief, I'm not a bloodthirsty beast. To think some compare me with the black dragon of the apocalypse, bah!"

"So you're not a bloodthirsty beast?" Natsu asked without thinking, then snapped his jaws shut. That had been a very rude thing to say.

Smaug leaned down so he was eye level with him, and snorted again. But with laughter.

Natsu was more than a little confused now.

"Little one, I admit I have a quarrel with Igneel, but I mean you no harm. You are not your father. Children do not choose their parents. Therefore, I will guard you from what dangers I can." Smaug chuckled, "But keep that between you and me. I admit, I like the fear that comes with my reputation. At least I get a little more respect for it."

Natsu didn't really get it, but he understood that the fire dragon wasn't going to hurt him. So he nodded, "Okay. Maybe we can hunt again sometime?"

"Perhaps, little one." Smaug turned away and launched himself out of the cave, soaring up after Atlas Flame and Fire Lily.

As if saying goodbye, Smaug spat a huge fireball across the sky, dazzling in the fading light.

Natsu heard Igneel and Sunrose walk up behind him and stop at his sides. Igneel rumbled, "What did he tell you, Natsu?"

"Hm." Natsu hummed, "It's a secret!"

Humans children had their heroes. So did young dragons. Natsu knew who his were. His mother and father, Atlas Flame and Fire Lily, and Smaug. Even if the fire dragon was Igneel's rival, Smaug didn't have anything against Natsu because he was the son of his enemy. Instead, he'd saved the little dragon, and gained his respect.

Smaug was like a book. You couldn't judge him by the cover.


	5. Shattered Peace

**Okay, got another chapter up! Now the story moves from Natsu growing up to the actual plot. From this point on, things will get much better action wise. That's it for now, so as always, please review and thanks for reading!**

Chapter 5: Shattered Peace

Natsu woke up and stretched, then growled. His spine itched. With a glance back, he appraised the swollen wing casings, which looked ready to burst any minute. Natsu's belly rumbled, and he could feel the heat more prominently than the day before.

He was ten years old now.

Sunrose was already awake, while Igneel slumbered at her side. She watched her son get up and start pacing.

"Don't make yourself crazy, Natsu." she said, "It won't be long now."

"I don't know how I'm going to stand it." he hissed, "It feels like bugs are crawling all over my scales."

Sunrose hummed with sympathy, "I know, little one, but be patient. It's worth the wait."

Natsu grunted, then thrashed his tail with a snarl, "Grah! Can't I just rub against a rock?! I'll do anything to get this itch out of my back!"

His mother sighed, "Well, try lying in the water pool. I'll warm the water. It should help a little, at least."

"I won't fit." he muttered in exasperation.

That was an understatement.

Having reached his first decade, Natsu had really grown up. Nine meters long, muscular, and by now a seriously powerful young dragon, even if he still didn't have his fire. His scales were now fully colored, in bright shades of crimson and salmon. The flame patterns on his jaws and neck were more vibrant than ever. Natsu's claws, teeth, and spines had definitely grown out too. And now he had small horns coming from the base of his skull.

Forget the days when Natsu made an effort out of killing bear, now it was usually just one bite: gone. The only things keeping him from being a true dragon were his lack of wings and inability to breathe fire. Which would soon be available to him.

Sunrose seemed to realize that the water pool was indeed to small for Natsu to submerge his irate spine and shook her head, "Well, then you'll just have to wait it out. I did. Your father did. I know it's not easy, but just hold out a little longer."

She sniffed his wing casings and murmured, "You're so close. It won't be more than an hour at the most."

"I'm not going to wait a whole hour with this itch!" Natsu hissed.

He usually wasn't so ill-tempered, but the itching was seriously driving him insane. The casings were being strained because his wings were fully grown and ready to come out. But for whatever reason, nature made it notoriously difficult for the wings to burst free.

Igneel was woken by the ruckus and stared at the source of his son's immense discomfort. He grunted, "Natsu, go out to the woods and rub those against a tree. Bark won't damage your wings, and it'll keep the mess outside."

"Thank you!" Natsu didn't hesitate a second and almost flew out of the cave. Sunrose barely jumped out to catch him and lower the young drake to the safety of the ground.

She sighed as they landed, "Do remember before you jump out of our cave that you can't fly yet and the drop is nearly three hundred feet."

"Yeah, thanks mom!" Natsu hissed back and shot off into the woods.

Sunrose shook her head and hummed with amusement, "Always on the move."

/

Natsu tried a few pine trees first, but he was so desperate to relieve the itching that he knocked them over. When that plan failed, his eyes found a huge oak.

Without hesitating, Natsu raked the right side of his back across the tree. The wing casing swelled even more, then caught a jagged bit of wood and was finally pierced. Natsu gasped with relief, but kept rubbing the tree, opening the casing more and more until at last, his right wing came out in a spray of blood.

Yes!

Natsu turned and watched his wing extend, trembling from the strain of breaking free. It was dripping blood from the casing, but he'd worry about that later.

His left side needed attention. NOW.

After shredding the case on his left and freeing the other wing, Natsu reared up and spread his wings out, letting the air dry them. He turned his head and licked the wounds where his wing cases had been, nipping off loose bits of skin that still remained.

Freeing a dragon's wings was a messy business, if the streams of blood running down his sides said anything, but the relief of finally being able to reach the sky was instantaneous and extraordinary.

Natsu's wings were colored the same bright crimson as his body, with the membrane being pitch-black, but with light salmon markings coloring the dark with flame patterns. Spread to the max, his wingspan reached nearly sixty feet.

Overjoyed, Natsu turned his head skyward and bellowed in ecstasy.

/

His parents heard the roar from the cavern and laughed.

"Very excited, isn't he?" Sunrose hummed.

Igneel chuckled, "I was. All dragons are. It means he can finally touch the heavens."

/

The roar echoed for miles, frightening animals and humans alike, who started casting uneasy glances towards the skies.

Only one looked towards the direction of the sound with interest.

/

Now Natsu learned to fly.

He started by just running along the ground with his wings spread, jumping when he felt an updraft of air. After a few tries, he managed to glide, albeit shakily. Once he gained his balance, Natsu tried flapping his wings while gliding. In no time, he was flying over the treetops. But that was easy.

Instinctively, Natsu climbed. He flew up in a spiral shape, trying to reach the highest point he could. When at last the air was too chilly and his breathing too hard, Natsu tucked in his wings and fell.

Exhilaration would never be enough of a word to describe the feeling Natsu had while falling towards earth. It was an utterly perfect freedom. He cried out in jubilation, corkscrewing through the air. And still, he continued to fall.

Natsu finally spread his wings again and pulled up, recovering from his free fall. Gasping for air, his head still swam from the altitude and ecstasy, so he glided lazily to the entrance of the cave.

He staggered a little when he landed, but he didn't care. Natsu had never felt so free in his life.

Igneel and Sunrose saw him land, so they got up immediately and walked over to their son.

"Natsu, you've flown!" Sunrose cried joyously, licking her son's forehead despite his protest.

Igneel almost purred, "You've finally become a lord of the skies. Congratulations."

"Thanks." he panted, then grinned, "That was just…I've never felt so good in my life."

"Isn't flying simply amazing?" Sunrose hummed.

Natsu laughed, "That's an understatement."

Igneel chuckled, "Well, let's celebrate with a hunt, shall we? All of us, flying together."

Natsu and Sunrose agreed without hesitation. And so the family flew out together for the first time.

/\/\/\/\/\

Their hunt was one of the greatest the dragons had experienced.

Natsu, Igneel, and Sunrose all ate their fill, returning to the cave with satisfied bellies.

During the flight and the hunt, Natsu had felt the heat in his stomach warm up further. He now sniffed his scaled underbelly with curiosity, "I hope I get my fire soon…"

"Won't be long." Igneel grunted, "Dragon's breath always comes soon after the wings."

Sunrose nodded, "We should ask Atlas Flame and Fire Lily to come again. They haven't been here in quite some time. I'm sure they'd love to fly with Natsu."

In fact, Atlas Flame and Fire Lily had made frequent visits to the dragon family over the last ten years. They'd enjoyed spending time with their friends, or family in Fire Lily's case. Though lately, they hadn't come for a visit because of an internal issue amongst the fire dragons.

Smaug had only come one other time since Natsu's first year. When the young dragon was seven, the huge drake had taken him with Igneel to go hunt the elephant herds. Even though he had been too small to hunt the giant mammals, Natsu had loved it. Just watching his father and Smaug take on the beasts was more than a little exciting for a young drake.

Natsu grinned at his mother, "I'd like that."

"Before we talk about another visit, let's sleep." Igneel muttered, tired from the hunt.

He lay down, and Sunrose followed him. Natsu joined them with a satisfied sigh. His head was still spinning with glee.

I'm really a dragon now…

/\/\/\/\/\

When Natsu woke up, the sun was just starting to peek over the horizon, casting it's bleeding rays of light over the landscape. It looked like flames were bathing the forest, but he had no time to appreciate its beauty.

Something felt…different.

Natsu nudged his mother with his nose, "Mother, wake up."

Sunrose lifted her head with bleary eyes and a yawn, "What is it, Natsu?"

"Does something seem…off..to you?" he asked.

His mother frowned, then sniffed the air. Her eyes narrowed, "Yes…But..I can't quite…Igneel, get up."

The flame dragon growled and opened one eye, "What?"

Then the earth shook.

The dragons froze as the cave rumbled ominously beneath their feet, then settled down.

Natsu's scales were bristling, "What was that?"

Igneel slowly rose to his feet and sniffed the air a few times, "It couldn't be…This volcano has been dead for nearly a century…"

"It's not the volcano." Sunrose murmured, "That was an earthquake. I think it was just the shock waves, but still…it feels like it might have-"

The earth rumbled again, more strongly and more dangerously. Then it settled down again.

"…woken up the volcano." Sunrose finished with wide eyes.

Igneel walked towards the cave mouth abruptly, "Come on, you two. This cave isn't safe right now. And we need to get our ruby out of the volcano pit."

Natsu and Sunrose followed him out without a second thought.

But they would never see the nest again.

/

Igneel went down to the volcanic crater and moved the boulder, then retrieved the hidden ruby. He flew back up to his family as the most powerful tremor yet cracked the frozen lava below.

Sunrose shook her head, "It's coming back to life. I didn't think it was possible."

"Watch this closely, Natsu." Igneel murmured, "Few ever see a volcano born, and fewer still have the privilege to see one come back to life. Nothing like this will ever happen again for several more millennia."

Natsu was watching, but something else on the wind had his attention. He scrunched his nose up, "What is that? This wind reeks…"

Sunrose scanned the horizon, "I don't see anything. You're probably smelling sulfur. It's not the best smelling thing in the world, but it's not harmful to flame dragons. Don't worry about it."

"No, that's not it." Natsu muttered, shaking his head, "It doesn't smell like fire…it's more like a-AHHHH!"

Something clamped down on his neck with razor sharp teeth. Natsu screeched in pain.

Igneel and Sunrose stared in horror. All they had seen was a black blur, then heard Natsu's scream.

The black dragon…

Acnologia.

The beast had dove down from above, which was why its scent had been so hard to detect. Now it had Natsu in a death grip and was tearing through the scales on his neck. Even as he struggled to get free, Natsu realized with terror that Acnologia was over a hundred feet long, easily three times his size.

He stood no chance against that monster.

"NATSU!" Sunrose shrieked and lunged for the black dragon, biting and slashing at Acnologia madly in an effort to make it free her son. Impossibly, it ignored her with little more than a growl.

Igneel changed that.

The Flame Drake slammed into Acnologia full force, making it stagger in midair. The beast released Natsu and spun with a hiss of fury, snapping at Igneel as spittle flew from its jaws. Igneel answered with a torrent of fire and an enraged roar from his open maw.

Natsu dropped like a rock, falling as another earthquake ruptured the volcanic crater and generated an explosion of lava. He was barely conscious. The pain from his wound was excruciating and he briefly wondered if his neck was broken.

Sunrose dove after him and caught her son in her claws, lifting him above the geyser of lava. Her eyes were locked on him with a horrified light, "Natsu! Igneel, he's hurt!"

"Get him out of here!" Igneel roared as he dodged another bite from Acnologia. He flapped twice to rise above it quickly, then banked sharply and twisted to sink his fangs into the base of the monster's skull.

Acnologia screeched, not in pain, but rage. Igneel felt he couldn't pierce the incredibly tough scales and instead let his body drop onto the huge black dragon, weighing it down while he got a death grip on its neck and wing.

Sunrose started to fly off with Natsu in her claws, but Acnologia wasn't about to let them get away so easily. Even with Igneel weighing it down, the black dragon flapped its wings madly and rammed Sunrose into the side of the volcano with all its power.

Her scales cracked from the force and a sharp rock pierced deep into her back leg. Sunrose shrieked in pain and shook the black dragon off, carrying Natsu out of its reach. She knew her leg was definitely broken, but she clung to her son despite the agony, otherwise she wouldn't be able to carry him. Even if he wasn't fully grown, Natsu was still too large to carry with just three legs.

Acnologia roared after them, enraged that its prey was escaping. It started charging blue energy in its mouth, preparing to shoot them down with a breath attack.

Igneel's claw came around and slammed its jaw shut, preventing the black dragon from firing. Then the Flame Drake spun Acnologia so it was belly up and twisted his body to appear on top of the monster again. Igneel and Acnologia roared point blank at each other, generating a volume of sound that made the volcano tremble even more.

"You die here!" Igneel bellowed and clamped his jaws onto Acnologia's throat, then blasted it with every bit of breath he had. The black dragon snarled in rage and slashed at him with its claws, but couldn't sink its fangs into Igneel's hide with its neck currently immobilized.

They fell as the volcano erupted violently, dousing the two warring dragons in an explosion of magma.

/

Sunrose watched with horror as the volcano exploded with Igneel and Acnologia still battling within it. In her claws, Natsu managed to keep conscious enough to stare at the burst of fire which climbed higher into the sky than he ever had.

Lava trailed out of the crater and doused their cave in a burning river, incinerating the nest.

Sunrose's lower lip quivered as she sobbed, "Goodbye my love…"

Feeling her heart breaking from loss, Sunrose flew off with Natsu still in her grasp, desperate to save the last of her family.

"GRRAAAHHHHHH!"

The roar made her stop dead. Sunrose's head whipped around as she saw a blur explode out of the ash cloud and take to the sky. The fire in her became cold.

Acnologia had survived.

Natsu saw the monster fly up over the volcano and managed a weak gasp, "D-dad…"

"Hush." Sunrose whispered, then flew as fast as she could, ignoring the pain in her leg. She had to get Natsu out of there, before the black dragon saw them.

In desperation, Sunrose thought about making for the direction of the Fire Capital, but it was on the other side of the erupting volcano and Acnologia…

She swallowed and decided to head for the coast. It was closer, and there was more cloud cover that way. She could hide herself and Natsu in the white so Acnologia couldn't find them.

/\/\/\/\/\

Sunrose didn't stop flying until the sky was dark and she could no longer hear Acnologia's terrible roars, which only deepened the pain in her broken heart.

But eventually, she had to land.

Natsu had fallen unconscious during the flight, but his mother couldn't afford to stop and check on him. There was still a risk that Acnologia was still pursuing them, but even the black dragon had to stop flying at night. Even it needed to rest sometime.

Sunrose landed carefully on a beach and dragged Natsu into a small cavern. The pain in her leg was almost too much to put weight on, so she collapsed to her side the moment Natsu was safely in the dark.

She sniffed the wound on her son's neck. There was a deep gash, one that would definitely scar over once it healed. If it healed. Natsu had lost a great amount of blood from the injury, and nothing was certain for him.

Sunrose felt tears in her eyes and did her best to lick the wound clean, only stopping once she couldn't see blood trickle anymore. Natsu also seemed to sleep easier, his breathing becoming deeper and slower.

She sighed and looked at her own injury. Her wound was also deep, and had certainly cracked the bone. Sunrose did her best to lick it clean, but it hurt every time she touched the injury. She did what she could and settled down, laying her head beside Natsu's.

Igneel.

Sunrose cried. Igneel couldn't have been killed by lava, but the fact that he hadn't risen from the crater could only mean that Acnologia had fatally wounded him. The dragonelle knew that he was more than likely dead, gone with the precious ruby they'd held so dear. All she had left of her mate was Natsu.

Sunrose draped her wing over her injured son, keeping him warm in the cold, dark cave. I swear I'll protect you, Natsu. I won't ever let anyone hurt you again. I promise…


	6. Healing the Wounded

**Alright, now the story starts to move along! Surprising new character coming in this chapter, but I think you'll like it. Especially as the story progresses. Anyhow, that's about it, so please review and thanks for reading!  
**  
Chapter 6: Healing the Wounded 

Natsu was unconscious for another day before he finally woke up.

The pain in his neck had numbed, but his body still felt weak. Weaker than he'd ever felt. Natsu opened his eyes slowly and blinked a few times to focus. He could smell his mother beside him, felt her wing draped over his body, but…

Natsu's eyes went wide as he remembered the battle with Acnologia and the exploding volcano. He tried to lift his head, but something weighed him down.

"Don't move." Sunrose whispered, her head on top of his, "Your wound only just closed. If you move, it'll open up again."

"D-dad…" Natsu gasped, "Wh-where's…"

He felt Sunrose tremble, then something warm and wet landed on his head. Natsu heard her sob and felt a cold fear in his chest.

"He's gone, Natsu. The only one who came out of that volcano was the black dragon…"

"No." Natsu hissed and tried to get up again, but Sunrose was able to keep him down with little effort. His body was still very weak. Natsu growled, "No, he has to be alive. Lava can't kill him! Dad just-"

"He CAN'T be dead!"

The dam broke and Natsu started crying, "What went wrong?! What made that monster come after us?! What the hell did we ever do to deserve it?!"

Sunrose hummed soothingly to calm him, but she was having trouble keeping her sorrow down. When he finally got a grip, she whispered softly, "Keep your heart strong, Natsu. He fell so we could keep going. We'll live on for him, okay? But you have to rest right now."

"It's not fair…" he cried.

"Shh…" she murmured, "Hush, my sweet. Hush…"

Natsu sniffed, but he caught the scent of blood other than his own. He gaze widened as he saw Sunrose's injured leg, "Mother, you're hurt…"

"It's not as bad as it looks." Sunrose reassured him, "I'll be okay. It will heal."

That said, she knew it would be some time before the pain faded completely. Also, she couldn't hunt like this, and neither could Natsu. So she decided on a last resort.

Sunrose opened her jaws and bathed Natsu in a stream of fire. He instinctively sucked in a breath sharply and inhaled the blaze, swallowing until his mother stopped. Natsu glanced up at her, "What about you?"

"I've gone hungry before, Natsu." she murmured, "It won't make me any weaker than I am. Sleep, little one."

"I'm not…little anymore…" Natsu growled, but his eyes were already closing.

/\/\/\/\/\

When Natsu woke again, light was streaming through the cave. He squinted and glanced to his side, where Sunrose still slept. With a nudge of his snout, she stirred and woke up as well with a yawn.

Sunrose judged the light, then sniffed their wounds before she made a decision, "Alright, we're leaving. We can't stay here any longer without food."

Natsu got up and followed her, noticing the limp in her back leg. He came up to her side and murmured, "Lean on me. I'll take the weight off your leg."

His mother nodded gratefully and leaned on Natsu. Her weight was carried easily enough by the young drake, even if he still wasn't 100%.

/\/\/\/\/\

Their pace was awkward and by no means fast, but they managed to cover a few miles of coastline within an hour. Once they reached a high cliff, Sunrose surveyed the landscape.

She didn't like what she saw.

"There's a human village not far from here." she sighed, "It's close enough that I wouldn't be surprised if one of them has already seen us. Other than that, I don't see much else. I don't recognize these lands."

"Any sign of Acnologia?" Natsu asked quietly.

Sunrose shook her head, "No. I think he headed further inland. We'd best stay on the coast for now. Once we regain our strength, we'll try flying to the Fire Capital."

"Why not now?" he queried.

"We'll need all our strength to fly to the Fire Capital." she explained, "It's a long journey from here, and if we run into Acnologia on the way, we'll need every bit of power we have to escape. There's just no fighting that black dragon…"

Natsu growled, "Wait until I get a little bigger, then we'll see who can fight."

"Natsu, enough." Sunrose warned, "You're nowhere near big enough to take on a dragon like that. In fact, there isn't a dragon alive who could take it on. If there was, it'd already have killed that black beast…"

"That doesn't mean we should just give up." he growled, tail lashing.

Sunrose smiled at him, "You really are your father's son. That's exactly what he'd say. I'm not saying you should give up, Natsu, but just know which battles you should fight. Don't go on a suicide mission for revenge."

Natsu seemed to relax a little, so Sunrose sniffed the air, "We should go hunt some of the livestock from the human village. It's not much, but it should give us enough energy to fly away from these lands."

The young drake sighed, "Great. Humans."

/

Sunrose couldn't hunt with her injured leg, so she hid in the deep woods while Natsu stalked the human's herd of cattle.

He waited until the humans weren't paying attention, then struck like red lightning. A cow on the edge of the herd suddenly disappeared, too fast for the other animals to register.

Natsu dragged the catch back through the woods and over a small trail where human footprints littered the ground. He froze as he caught another scent and dropped the cow to whip his head sideways.

A little girl was staring at him.

For a moment, neither of them dared to move.

Natsu swallowed uneasily and muttered, "Uh, can you please not scream for help?"

The girl gasped, "You talk!"

He blinked, "Um..yes?"

She clapped happily and walked over without hesitation, "My name is Kagura. What's your name?"

Natsu stared at the kid. Didn't she know he was a dragon?

Is she crazy? he wondered as the kid reached out slowly to pat his scaly hide.

The girl giggled, "You feel funny!"

"Um..thank you..I guess..?" he managed, then spoke lowly, "Hey kid-"

"Kagura!" the girl reminded him.

"Yeah, Kagura." Natsu corrected, "Don't you have parents? Haven't they told you what a dragon is?"

She blinked, "Parents?"

Natsu nodded, "Your mom and dad. Your parents."

"Don't have any." she said easily.

Orphan, huh? he realized. Natsu sighed, "Well, look. I'm a dragon, okay? So, you should probably stay away from me. I'm not always so nice."

Kagura smiled, "But you talked to me. No one except for my brother does that! So you're nice!"

Natsu again found himself speechless. This kid cannot be normal. There's just no way a human would call a dragon nice.

Kagura suddenly tried to climb onto his back, making him protest, "H-hey! What do your think you're-"

"Go horse-y!" she cheered.

This kid must be insane, he decided. Natsu sighed. What the heck was he supposed to do? He stared at the kid and shook his head in disbelief, "Oh, what the hell- hey!"

Kagura swatted his leg all of a sudden and looked up at him with a pout, "That's a bad word!"

She's mad because I have bad manners?

"Won't your brother be worried?" he tried.

Kagura shook her head, "Nope, he's been away from the village for a while. An old lady gives me food sometimes."

Well, that explains why she's a so thin, he thought, noting that the girl was indeed rather underweight, even for a child her age. Natsu let out an exasperated sigh, "Oh, fine. What do you want kid?"

"You have wings!" she exclaimed, "Can you fly?!"

"Yes, I can fly." he replied.

"I wanna see!" she chirped.

"Can't. Sorry." he said.

"You just said you could!" she protested.

"Well, I can't right now." he said.

"Liar!" she accused.

"Hey! I just can't, okay! I mean, I could if I wanted to-" he defended.

"Well, I wanna see you fly! And I'm not letting you go until I see you fly!" she pouted.

As if to prove this, Kagura grabbed his leg and didn't let go.

Natsu thought about shaking her off and just ditching the kid, but caution outweighed what he wanted. If the kid got hurt, someone was bound to notice her scream. And she seemed innocent enough, so he felt like killing her would be a crime.

I must be as crazy as she is, he thought. Natsu sighed, "Alright, get on my back."

"YAY!" Kagura cheered. She tried to clamber up his leg, but it didn't work because she just slid off.

The girl pouted again, "I can't- kya!"

Natsu's tail wrapped around her middle carefully and set the girl on his back. He gripped the cow with his claws and glanced back at her, "Hold on tight, okay? Don't fall off!"

Kagura grabbed his back spines and smiled happily, "Hey, what's your name! You didn't tell me!"

"Natsu!" he answered, then spread his wings and leaped into the air, but did his best to just hover over the trees.

The girl on his back squealed in delight, "Whee! We're flying!"

But Natsu wasn't thinking about the flight. His mind was racing.

What the hell am I going to tell mother?

/\/\/\/\/\

"You brought a human here?" Sunrose repeated.

Natsu shuffled his feet awkwardly, "Look, I didn't know what else to do. I didn't want her going to tell the villagers about us, but I just couldn't eat her, either. She's the weirdest human I've ever met."

Sunrose stared down at Kagura with piercing blue eyes. The little girl offered a bright smile, "Hi!"

The dragonelle raised a scaly eyebrow, "Indeed."

Natsu nudged the cow towards her and sighed, "What do we do with her?"

"Does she have any family in the village?" Sunrose asked.

"I think she said she had a brother." Natsu recalled, "But not in the village. No mother or father."

"There's two dragons! Yay!" Kagura squealed as she patted Sunrose's leg.

Sunrose's bad leg.

The dragonelle hissed in pain, "Watch it!"

Kagura yelped and backed off with a scared look in her eyes, "S-sorry…I didn't mean to..ugh…"

The two dragons froze as Kagura's lip trembled, her eyes filled with tears, and she-

"Wahhh!"

Natsu cringed. They were in deep forest, but weren't that far from the village. If someone heard this…

"H-hey, it's okay!" Natsu stammered, "Don't cry! Uh, she's not mad, she's just hurt! That's why she acted all scary!"

Kagura stared at him with a tear streaked face, "I'm not in *sniff* any trouble?"

"No, you're not." he reassured her. "This is my mother. She was hurt, so we had to stay here for a bit. But she won't hurt you, okay? So no more crying."

The girl wiped her eyes and tried to smile, "Okay."

Natsu sagged with relief and glanced to Sunrose, "Are all human children like that?"

"I wouldn't know." she answered, "I mean, this is the first conversation I've had with a human that doesn't involve the words, 'Die!' and, 'Please don't eat me!' This child is an oddity, that's for sure."

Kagura tried patting Sunrose's front leg and jumped back, staring at her with wide eyes. But the dragonelle hummed, "I won't snap, little one."

Now reassured that she was in no danger, Kagura touched Sunrose more calmly and giggled, "You're just like Natsu! All scale-y!"

Natsu shook his head in amazement, "This is the weirdest thing I've ever seen in my entire life."

"Well, it's weird even for me, so don't expect to find something this strange again for quite a few decades, Natsu." his mother said.

Kagura smiled up at Sunrose, "Can you fly too?"

"I can, little one, but not now. My leg is hurt. See?" the dragonelle nodded towards her injury, making the girl gasp.

Her eyes were wide, "Does it hurt a lot?"

"Sometimes, little one." Sunrose murmured.

"Wait here!" the kid chirped, then ran off into the underbrush.

Natsu glanced at his mother, "Eat fast. I don't know if she went for another villager or what, but I think we should be ready to leave quickly."

"Agreed." Sunrose muttered, then tore into the cow.

/\/\/\/\/\

Ten minutes later, Kagura was back with a handful of blue stalks that had a single, huge leaf on the end.

She offered them to the injured dragonelle, "Here! These'll make you feel better!"

Natsu sniffed the blue stalk, "What-"

"It's okay, Natsu." Sunrose purred at Kagura, "She's smarter than she looks. I know this plant. It's a natural painkiller. Could you give some of those to Natsu, little one? He's injured too, you know."

Kagura gasped and quickly divided the plant, then offered a handful to each dragon.

Natsu crunched the stalks up hesitantly. It tastes like spearmint.

It took a minute, but the ache in his neck faded, leaving him with barely suppressed relief.

Sunrose looked more than a little relaxed now. She sighed, "Oh, that's better…"

Natsu was impressed, "Thank you, Kagura. That was…well, it was kind of you."

Kagura smiled happily, "You're welcome, Natsu! Can we fly again?"

"Er…" he glanced at Sunrose helplessly.

She nodded, "I'd say it's time she was flown back to the village. It's almost time for the humans to sleep. And time for us to rest."

Natsu nodded, "Okay. Time to go home, Kagura."

He picked her up with his tail and set her on his back again carefully.

Sunrose smiled teasingly, "I never thought I'd see you with a human on your back."

"Well, this is an exceptional human." he muttered, then flew off before she could tease him further.

The dragonelle watched her son fly off with soft eyes. Igneel, Natsu is just as we wished him to be. Strong and fierce, but he's gentle too. You'd be so proud of him…

/

Natsu flew Kagura to the edge of the woods surrounding the village and set her down, "Alright, I have to go."

"Will you come back?" she asked.

He hesitated, so she grabbed his leg, "Please come back! I've never had a friend before!"

Natsu leaned down and snorted, "I'll try to come again, okay? But I can't stay for long. Humans…well, the other villagers don't like dragons as much as you do."

Kagura looked up at him with the biggest brown eyes he'd ever seen, "Promise you'll come back?"

"Okay, I promise." Natsu said.

That made her smile, so she trotted down the path back to the village. Natsu watched her go, then turned away.

/\/\/\/\/\

He walked through the woods for a bit, deciding to follow his nose in the darkness, but it was slow going. Natsu hadn't gotten far.

Geez, Kagura sure is lucky it was me that found her and not Smaug. He'd have snapped her up without a second thought. Most dragons would.

"HIIIAAAAHHHH!"

Natsu froze at the scream. His head whipped back towards the village. Kagura?!

Without thinking, he launched himself into the air and flew back towards the human settlement. His sharp eyes weren't as good in the dark, but he saw well enough.

There! Kagura was struggling to get away from three fully grown men, who appeared to be angry with the little girl.

Natsu dove down to get closer, trying to make out the furious tones.

"Little crook!"

"Trying to steal our produce!"

"This damn kid's pestered me for the last time! Tie her up and toss her in the water!"

Natsu's blood boiled with anger. Oh, no you don't.

As he dove down, one of the men tried to gag Kagura, so she screamed, "NATSU, HELP!"

"RRAAAAAAHHHH!"

The bellow made the men cringe, and also caused every living thing within a five mile radius to freeze. They had heard the roar of a dragon more than once in their lifetimes.

He crashed into the ground full force, making the ground shudder. The three men froze in terror.

Natsu hissed, "Get. Lost."

They didn't hesitate to turn and run for their lives, screaming their heads off. Natsu noted with satisfaction that at least one of the men had wet himself.

Kagura scrambled over to him, grabbing his leg with a cry, "That was scary! They were trying to hurt me!"

"Hush, little one." Natsu murmured, but he picked her up as he did so. She couldn't stay here anymore, and neither could he or Sunrose. They had to leave. They had to leave now.

Natsu set Kagura on his back and took off, hovering high over the village as a group of people with torches came out in a mob, looking around for the beast that had suddenly appeared. The three men were still freaking out, much to his amusement.

But Natsu's amusement was short-lived. He flew back to where Sunrose was already waiting, looking up for him to fly overhead. She took to the air and met him above the forest.

His mother stared at him, "What happened?"

"I'll explain later, but we have to go." Natsu urged.

Sunrose sighed, "Where? Where can we go?"

Kagura peeked out over Natsu's back, "My brother went across the ocean! We can find him! He'll help us!"

Natsu glanced to his mother, "Do you know what she's talking about?"

"I think she means the continent north of here." Sunrose said thoughtfully, "I've never been there, and it's supposedly a long journey, but…I don't think Acnologia ever goes there. It could be a safe place to heal before we return to the Fire Capital."

"Then across the ocean it is." Natsu grunted, then flew off towards the vast, dark waters with Kagura on his back and Sunrose close behind him.


	7. Such Sweet Sorrow

**I've got a real plot in mind now, so this part of the story isn't just about Natsu growing up. It will be relevant in later chapters, so for now, please review and thanks for reading!**

Chapter 7: Such Sweet Sorrow

When morning broke, all they could see was ocean.

Natsu and Sunrose had been flying nonstop through the night, heading straight out towards wherever they thought the northern continent was.

On the way, Natsu explained why he'd brought Kagura.

Sunrose sighed when he finished, "This is why I dislike humans. If a drake kills a hatchling, it's quick and often painless. But human men are some of the cruelest creature in existence. They take their time and actually revel in causing suffering." She shook her head in disgust, "They're not civilized at all."

"Well, I guess she's staying with us." Natsu decided.

His mother glanced at him, "You'll have to give her back to another group of humans eventually. They're very delicate creatures. They need to be around their own kind, especially a child that small."

Natsu looked back at Kagura, who was sleeping peacefully on him. He nodded at his mother's words, "I know. We'll give her to her brother when we find the other shoreline."

/\/\/\/\/\

Twice they had to stop flying for a while by landing in the water and just swimming lazily for an hour or two. By the time the two dragons sighted a small island, their wings were heavy with exhaustion. Sunrose landed in the water to avoid straining her injured leg from landing and swam up to the island.

Natsu landed and collapsed onto the sand gratefully, "I think I'm going to sleep for a month…"

"Not yet, little one." Sunrose murmured as she clambered onto the beach from the water, "But we'll rest here for a while."

Kagura climbed off of Natsu's back and gave him a tired look, "I'm hungry…and thirsty…and sleepy..."

Natsu reluctantly got up and scoured the small island, becoming relieved when he found a coconut tree. He knocked a few of them down with ease, then cracked through their hard shell and gave Kagura access to the fruit and liquid inside.

The girl drank and ate gladly before she crawled over to Natsu and settled down by his chest. In no time, she had fallen asleep.

Sunrose watched the child with amusement, "She's a lot like you."

"I find that hard to believe." he muttered.

"I mean she's innocent." Sunrose purred, "You had that same innocent attitude when you were just a hatchling. And you fell asleep just as quickly."

Natsu sighed, "Well, I can still fall asleep like that, I'm so tired." As if to prove this, he lay his head down on the sand and closed his eyes, then fell asleep almost immediately.

Sunrose hummed, "Indeed, little one."

/\/\/\/\/\

The next morning, Natsu had a problem.

With his scales, he had no issues with sunlight, but Kagura's face and arms were bright red with sunburn. It seemed to be causing the girl great pain.

Luckily, Sunrose had a solution.

She recognized another plant on the island and crushed it to a paste, then directed Kagura to wipe it over her where she was burnt. The relief was immediate- Kagura smiled and laughed, even with the burns on her face.

And so Natsu gathered a few coconuts for Kagura, then they flew out again.

In no time, the little island was gone. All they could see was vast ocean.

Natsu growled with unease, "Where does this end?!"

Sunrose shook her head, "I don't know. I haven't been across the ocean before, but I never imagined…"

Natsu glanced at Kagura, who was munching on a coconut he'd opened for her, "Hey, if we get to the other shore, can you tell us where your brother is?"

"Yes!" Kagura chirped happily, offering him a big smile.

Sunrose nodded, "Then let's fly fast. We may be able to see the opposite shore by nightfall.

And so on they flew.

/\/\/\/\/\

By midday, the dragons were exhausted. Sunrose finally had enough of her throbbing leg and spoke at Natsu, "I have to rest! Let's swim for a while, okay?"

He said nothing, just swooped down to the water. Natsu was all too happy to agree with her- he had never felt so tired in his life.

Natsu crunched open another coconut for Kagura and passed it to her with a grunt, "That's the last one. You'll have to do without for the rest of the trip."

"That's okay." she said, then pointed out, "I can see the other side!"

Natsu's head whipped towards where she pointed and he realized she was right. He could see land in the distance, with trees and grass and-

"That's a human city." Sunrose muttered, her eyes narrowing, "We'll have to watch out for that."

"Right." he answered, then started to swim towards the shore.

As they got within a mile of the shore and the human city, an alarm suddenly cut through the air.

Sunrose hissed, "We've been spotted."

"I think we'd better fly." Natsu growled, "Hold on, Kagura!"

His mother nodded, then swooped up into the sky, Natsu in hot pursuit. Kagura squeaked and held on tightly.

As they go about fifty feet up, Natsu saw a huge ship leave the port. He stared down at it, "What are they going to do with that?"

Sunrose observed the ship, then froze.

There was a shout from a man on the ship, then a harpoon was launched up into the air with incredible speed.

"Natsu, look out!" Sunrose screeched and rammed into her son, shoving him away from the path of the harpoon. The missile burst through her wing and tore a huge gash through the membrane.

Natsu felt himself freeze in horror. He bellowed, "MOTHER!"

The harpoon was pulled straight back through the hole with nothing to grip, but the damage was already done. Sunrose cried out in pain and fell, her wing useless with such a large wound.

He dove after her and tried to pull her up with his claws, but he just wasn't strong enough to lift up a dragonelle her size. Natsu's wings beat furiously to rise up, but Sunrose was weighing him down.

Kagura clung onto him and cried in panic, "They're throwing things!"

Natsu stared down at the human ship and realized they were now throwing spears at the two falling dragons, yelling words of hate and death.

"Natsu, let me go." Sunrose gasped.

"No." he snarled, "You're going with me. I'm not leaving you here to them."

"There's nothing you can do." she insisted, "My wing is torn beyond repair. I can't fly like this."

"I won't!" he hissed.

Sunrose looked away, "Then you leave me no choice."

Her tail suddenly whipped up and cracked on his leg, making Natsu yelp and drop her.

Natsu dove after her again with a roar, "No!"

"Natsu!" Sunrose shouted, then sucked in a breath and bathed him in flame. He quickly devoured the fire, faster than ever so Kagura wasn't burnt. His mother smiled up at him as she fell, "Fly! Fly somewhere safe and heal!"

"Not without you!" he roared, using his new energy to dive down again, but Sunrose spat another fireball that kept him at bay. If he got too close, he wouldn't be able to protect Kagura from the infernos. Damn it, damn it, damn it!

Sunrose crashed into the water with a bellow, then righted herself and glared at the human ship approaching her. It was just 100 meters away and closing fast. Already, the men were throwing spears at her.

She tried to swim, but Sunrose's wounded leg made it difficult, and her body was already exhausted. The ship gained on her easily.

"Mother!" Natsu roared, but he couldn't fly any lower without getting in range of the human spears.

The ship got in reach and started hurling spears at Sunrose. Some of the spears bounced off of her scales, but most found their mark. One got in her the back. Another in her uninjured back leg. A third spiked the base of her tail. Sunrose screeched in pain, but couldn't swim any faster.

"NO!" Natsu screamed and dove for the ship, not caring if the humans started shouting up at him and threw spears. He slammed into the mast and made it crash onto the deck, watching with anger as the humans dodged it, then proceeded to continue throwing spears at him mother.

He wheeled around and growled, "Kagura, stay low and hold tight!"

This time, Natsu flew straight for the ship.

The men started throwing spears at him, jeering and yelling hatefully, but Natsu kept coming with lethal intent in his eyes.

Natsu crashed onto the deck with a furious roar, thrashing his claws and tail at anything that moved. Men screamed as they were slashed or hit and thrown overboard. One of them tried to jab Natsu's face with a spear, but he snapped the weapon in half, clamped his jaws onto the man, and threw him as far over the water as he could.

Suddenly, there was a horrible pain in his side.

He spun around with a snarl and found a man trying to drive a spear into his chest, but Natsu knocked him over, then stomped him so hard the wooden deck was broken. The man's scream was cut off instantly.

Kagura gasped, "Natsu, you're hurt!"

"I'm fine!" he hissed, then continued to thrash and strike out at the men. Natsu heard more shouts from behind and spun around, but his heart sank when he realized it wasn't from the men on the boat.

Three more ships were approaching. He couldn't fight all of them off. Not a drake his size.

"Natsu…"

He whipped his head back towards the water and stared over the side of the ship.

Sunrose had been speared in a dozen different places, bleeding out in the water with half-dead eyes. She looked up at him weakly, "Fly, my sweet…fly…"

Natsu felt tears in his eyes, "Mother…"

"They're getting closer!" Kagura gasped.

Natsu saw Sunrose sinking into the water and knew he could do nothing. Sadder than ever and bleeding, the young drake took off from the ship, leaving death and destruction in his wake.

No man on that ship remained alive. The vessel sank quickly afterwards.

He climbed, climbed high until he was out of range from spears and harpoons alike. Natsu stared down at the reddening water, filled with debris of the destroyed ship and the bodies of men. And Sunrose. He watched with an ever-breaking heart as the pink dragonelle sank quietly beneath the waves, disappearing from his sight.

Kagura cried on his back, "I can't see her…"

"Hush." Natsu muttered, then flew off towards the land with tears streaming from his eyes. His wound wasn't deep, but it was bleeding a lot, so he knew he had to choose somewhere close to land.

The sooner the better.

/\/\/\/\/\

They landed on a hill in the forest by the city.

Natsu helped Kagura off his back and collapsed, exhausted from travel, pain, and grief. His head drooped and lay on the ground, not caring if the earth was hard and uncomfortable.

Kagura hugged his snout and cried. He couldn't understand why the girl was so sad about his mother's death, but somehow, watching her cry made him focus more on her and less on the pain in his heart. Natsu wrapped his tail around her gently and shifted the girl so she was in the curve of his side. Kagura sniffed and curled up on his warm scales, falling asleep quickly.

Natsu stared at her, eyes half-open with exhaustion. He opened his mouth to say something, or ask something, but closed them immediately. There was no one to ask.

What do I do now?

/\/\/\/\/\

The answer came at nightfall.

Natsu was resting, cleaning the wound in his side while Kagura slept when he heard the sounds.

His head lifted, scanning the landscape below the hill until he saw the glow of torches. A mob of people was walking towards them.

Natsu woke up Kagura quietly, then got the girl onto his back. He waited for the mob to get closer so he could judge their intentions, but it seemed pretty obvious. They just wanted to finish what they'd started.

But an old man was at the head, a gray-bearded human with a cane. Behind him was a mixture of soldiers and regular looking humans. Most of them didn't look happy, but they followed the old man and didn't rush him at first sight.

Natsu awaited them with a menacing glare and bared fangs, daring any one of the humans to try and pull out a sword or a spear. He'd snap the weapons in half, then snap the attacker the same way.

The old man stopped a few meters away and raised a hand, "We come in peace, young drake."

"Your people didn't show me or my mother such hospitality when we came in." Natsu spat, "Do you think I'm a fool? It wouldn't shock me if this is just a diversion so you can ambush me from the back."

"I assure you, it's not." the old man said, "We are merely here to speak with you."

"Kagura, watch the back." Natsu growled, "If someone comes up behind me, I'll break them in half."

As the girl shifted on his back, the old man nodded, as if confirming something, "So, it's true. One of the sailors said there was a young girl on the drake's back. I'm surprised he was right."

Natsu lowered his head so he was eye level with the man, then let out a deep hiss, "One wrong move human, and the legends about man eating dragons will be proven right as well."

One of the soldiers stormed up, "How dare you threaten our mayor! He's been nothing if not generous-"

"Enough." the old man sighed, "We are at fault here. We attacked the dragons without thinking, and as a result, we lost a ship, thirty good men, and a dragonelle has fallen. This damage needs to be repaired."

The soldier stared at him, "But sir, they were coming to our city! They would've destroyed everything if we didn't-"

"Destroyed?" Natsu echoed with a furious snarl, "I'll have you know we were going to leave this girl with you and be on our way. My mother's leg was broken and my neck was damaged as well. We were exhausted and fighting for our lives before you even started attacking us!"

There were many gasps from the crowd, but the soldier sneered at him, "Right, and then you'd probably have eaten us all when we were off guard. Exhausted? You destroyed a whole ship and killed its entire crew!"

"Because you speared my mother!" Natsu roared.

"Enough!" the mayor cried, flashing a glare at his soldier, who cringed and backed up. The old man shook his head with a sigh, "Young drake, I'm very sorry for what we've done. Our men may have just been trying to protect our families, but that is no excuse for taking away someone so precious to you. If there's anything we can do to repent-"

"You can take this girl in and return her to her brother." Natsu said coldly, "I don't want excuses or apologies. We're well past that. Just keep her safe, treat her as you would any other child, and let me be on my way. And never,"

He moved so his eye was directly in front of the soldier who'd protested, "Never, attack a dragon that comes over that ocean without knowing their intentions."

The man gulped and nodded before Natsu pulled away with a sigh, "Although, I'll tell you this. If a huge black dragon comes over the ocean, evacuate your city. It's what drove us here in the first place. I doubt it will come this way, but there's no being too careful with that black beast…"

"We are thankful for this information." the mayor said, dipping his head, "It's more than we deserve, that's for certain. And we shall take in the girl as you told us. What was her name again?"

"Kagura." Natsu replied, making the little girl peek over his shoulder at the mob, to whom she waved happily.

A tall man with a metal jaw plate gasped and broke out of the crowd, "Kagura!?"

The girl squealed, "Simon!"

Natsu realized the man was her brother and wrapped his tail around the girl, then gently lifted her and set her to the ground. Kagura leaped at Simon, who buried her in his grasp.

Simon looked up at Natsu and bowed his head, "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"Kagura helped my mother and I when we were injured." Natsu murmured, "It's the least I owed her."

The young drake stood up to his full height, towering over the humans. Some of them muttered uneasily, but most seemed to realize by now that he wasn't going to hurt them. Natsu rumbled, "I'm going to fly further inland. Look for a place where I can heal safely."

"Then try the mountains to the north." the mayor said, "It's neutral land amongst the dragons and humans ruling territories in this continent. You won't be attacked there."

Natsu blinked in surprise, "I didn't think other dragons lived on this continent."

The mayor chuckled, "Oh, there are dragons, all right. Many, many dragons. I think you'll find a suitable Thunder without much trouble."

Now Natsu frowned, "A Thunder? What?"

"Yes, a clan of dragons. They're called Thunders because a mass of flying dragons makes a sound like a thunderstorm." the old man answered with a raised eyebrow, "Do you not have Thunders in your lands?"

"No. Dragons usually live alone where I come from." Natsu said, "The only dragons that live together are families."

I'm being far too kind to them. If I had my fire, I'd have razed their city to the ground. By rights, I should've done that anyways, he thought angrily. But he knew that Igneel and Sunrose wouldn't have wanted him to do that. Natsu's kindness was why he and his parents loved each other so much.

He shook the thoughts his head, then stretched, "I'll be on my way, then. Farewell."

"Natsu!" Kagura ran up to him and hugged the drake's leg. She looked up at him with a big smile, "Thank you! Come back and play sometime, okay?"

Natsu brought his muzzle down and licked the girl's face. She squeaked and rubbed her skin with an indignant pout, "Hey!"

"This is goodbye, little one." Natsu almost purred with laughter, "I won't see you again for quite a while, if ever."

That seemed to make her sad, but Natsu turned his head and grasped a loose scale on his back, then jerked it free. He looked back at Kagura and hissed through his teeth, "Hold out your hands."

Kagura did so, then Natsu dropped the bright red scale in her palms. She held it reverently, eyes wide with delight.

Natsu murmured softly, "There. Now you won't forget me, and I'll try to meet you again one day. Promise?"

"Promise!" Kagura chirped, hugging the big dragon scale to her chest.

He pulled away from her and spread his wings, hearing a chorus of murmurs from the humans, "Farewell, dragon."

Natsu looked at the soldiers, "You were lucky I can't breathe fire yet. Or else things would have been much worse. Remember that."

The men seemed to acknowledge their mistake and bowed their heads as Natsu took off into the darkening sky. Kagura cried out after him, "Goodbye Natsu!"

Natsu didn't look back, just kept flying north towards the mountains the old man had told him of.

He had survived. He was still alive.

All it had cost him was everything.

Everything.


	8. Wendy and Gajeel

**As the title of this chapter suggests, it's time to meet some very special dragons! Not telling anything more than that for now! As always, please review and thanks for reading!**

Chapter 8: Wendy and Gajeel

Natsu flew for two days without stopping for very long, only pausing now and then to get something to eat from the forests he passed over. Deer were common, at least, and he hadn't seen too many human villages as he went further inland.

If he hadn't lost his mother the minute he stepped foot inside this country, he might have genuinely liked it.

Sunrose's death had left Natsu with little want for joy or laughter. He hadn't spoken to anyone since he'd left Kagura with her brother, and hadn't so much as thought about anything for the same amount of time. He felt empty. Hollow. Weak.

He hated that word. Weak. Natsu had been too weak to fight off Acnologia with his father. He'd been too weak to save his mother when she was dying. And he'd been too weak to get revenge for her. All he had done was run away.

And he hated himself for it.

Igneel. He would have said to grow stronger. That that was all he could do was to live on and get stronger, so he would never lose someone again. Natsu knew that's what he'd have said.

But more than himself or weakness, Natsu hated being alone.

He'd never been alone before. Not in his entire life. He'd always been with his mother and father. Now both of them were gone. Even Kagura. For the first time, Natsu had no one to turn to, nowhere to go, and no idea what he was supposed to do.

Acnologia. It was his fault.

Natsu hated that black beast more than anything in the world. If hatred could kill, maybe even Acnologia would have staggered from the force of Natsu's rage.

Sunrose. She'd have said to stop living for hatred and revenge. She'd have hummed to soothe him, and said that life was a challenge, and that he shouldn't hate a hurdle because it was hard to clear. That's what she would have said. He knew it in his heart.

So on he flew.

/\/\/\/\/\

On the third day, Natsu spotted a cave and decided to rest. As he landed, he realized that there were humans at the front, guarding the entrance.

I'm not getting involved with them, Natsu thought, and was about to fly on when he saw something that almost made him stop flying.

Moving towards the cave was a cart. In the cart was a cage.

In the cage was a small, light blue dragon.

It was small, probably no more than three years old, but it was gagged and bound, and couldn't move.

Natsu was shocked. Where were the parents? Who were these people? As he sniffed the air, he realized with a jolt that he could smell other dragon's scents from the inside of the cave. Just how many were captive by these humans?

He decided to investigate and landed quietly in the woods, sneaking up to stare at the humans transporting the cart.

Natsu strained his ears to listen as the men spoke to the guard.

"Hullo!" the cart leader said.

"Nice catch, but is that it?" the soldier returned disdainfully.

"Hey, the parents weren't easy this time. They actually put up a fight, damn things. Took out three of my men before we killed the drake, and another two before the dragonelle took off and left."

"The King won't be happy about that."

"Well, we got one, okay? It's better than nothing. He just wants to train them, right? Isn't it better to start with young ones? I thought the adults were untrainable."

"A parent dragon would do anything for their offspring."

"That's true, I guess. Well, this adds to be the third of the harvest, so that'll make him pleased! That big drake was definitely a catch. He'll be a breeder for sure."

"That big drake ripped five of my men to ribbons, even when we drugged him. No exaggeration. There wasn't anything left of them before we finally pinned him down."

"Hey, if you're still alive to collect the money, it's worth it! You and I, we're gonna be rich for this. The King said 10,000 jewels for every hatchling and 20,000 jewels for live adult drakes and dragonelles, right? We've got two hatchlings and an adult drake! 40,000 jewels! By the time we get back, he might just throw a party in our honor!"

"Just get the dragon in the cave and we'll talk about payments later."

"Have it your way, Mr. Sunshine. Cheerio!"

Natsu pulled back and almost growled.

Slave traders. These people were professional dragon killers and kidnappers.

He didn't have to think about his next course of action. There would be blood tonight, one way or another.

I'll free them all. Natsu vowed.

/\/\/\/\/\

He waited until dark and slowly stalked along the rocky mountain so he was poised directly over the cave mouth. Inside, Natsu could hear the sounds of men celebrating their captures, drinking and gambling with money they claimed would soon be paid. Two guards still stood at the entrance, also drinking until they laughed raucously to the men in the back and hardly paid attention.

Big mistake.

Natsu slowly, silently peeked over the edge of the rock face and looked down on the two men. One muttered to the other, "Hey, watch it, ok? I've gotta go pee."

The other guard guffawed, saying he hadn't had enough to drink yet, but let his comrade go. When the other man was out of sight in the woods, Natsu's head shot down faster than a snake and grabbed the remaining guard. He snapped the man's neck quickly, then threw him in the opposite direction his comrade had gone. The cracking of branches was not heard over the celebration.

When the other guard returned, he scratched his head and muttered, "That lazy ass went inside without-"

Natsu grabbed him mid sentence and also assassinated him, then hurled the man after his comrade.

Once the guards were dispatched, Natsu remained above the cave mouth, opened his jaws, and roared.

"GRAAAHHHH!"

The celebration fell silent, then men started shouting inside the cave.

"There's a dragon outside!"

"Fortune's smiling down on us, boys! We'll score another catch before we head home!"

"YEAH!"

That's right. Natsu thought with satisfaction. Come out drunk and guns blazing. We'll see who scores what.

The men charged out with a massed bellow, running down the path away from the cave and into the forest, searching with torches for the source of the dragon roar.

And while you're busy with that…

Natsu slunk down and slipped into the cave without so much as a sound, going by completely unnoticed.

He quickly padded to the back of the cave and took in the scene. Just as the men said, two hatchlings, ranging from one year to three years in age, were confined in a small cage together, bound and muzzled. One was the light blue he'd seen before, and the other was a pale green.

A larger cage held a big drake, maybe bigger than him, and incredibly, it's entire body appeared to be made of dark, almost black steel.

The captive dragons saw him and stared with surprise.

Natsu hissed, "I'm getting you out of here, so be quiet. We'll give them a nasty surprise on the way out."

He freed the drake first. Natsu stabbed his claw into lock and pulled back, opening the cage door. He then cut the chains that kept the drake immobilized and left the muzzle to the other dragon's sharp claws.

The other drake spat and snarled, "That damn thing! Why, I'm gonna rip those bastards to pieces when I see them again!"

"You'll get your chance." Natsu growled, "Help me with the hatchlings, will you?"

"I'll stand guard." the drake hissed, "You get the runts out."

So the Iron Drake watched for humans around the corner of the cave in case any decided to come back early while Natsu freed the young dragons.

He tore the cage door off and carefully broke the ropes keeping them bound, but Natsu only got one free when the Iron Drake hissed, "They're coming back."

Natsu quickly pulled the other hatchling out of the cage and placed the two small dragons safely behind his bulk. He whispered to the first, "Free this one and stay behind me. No matter what happens, don't try to get away until we've cleared them out."

The hatchlings nodded obediently, but Natsu sensed it was fear keeping them quiet. He didn't blame them.

He blocked the way to the hatchlings beside the Iron Drake, who growled, "Hey, what do they call you?"

Natsu blinked, "Why do you ask?"

"So if ya die, I don't have to feel guilty about never knowing your name." the drake smirked, baring sharp, white fangs.

The Flame Drake grinned back, "Natsu. And who are you?"

"Gajeel. Gee-hee." the drake returned with a peculiar chuckle.

"Well, Gajeel, let's give them hell." Natsu hissed.

"Damn right." the Iron Drake growled, "I'll teach them to drug my food and tie me up like they own me!"

They heard footsteps getting closer and fell silent. Angry voices were muttering amongst each other.

"Stupid idiots, there's no dragon out there!"

"Hey, you said it was a dragon!"

"Oh, who cares! We've got four inside, anyway. Maybe it was one of them."

They turned the corner and came face to face with the two furious looking drakes. The men paused for a second, not comprehending the sight.

Natsu grinned, "That's right. It was me."

Now the men's faces went white.

Natsu and Gajeel roared bloodlust and lunged, ripping men apart before the others even registered that the dragons in their cave were free and very, very angry.

One man, apparently the leader, yelled from the back, "Spear them! Get the nets and cover their jaws! We've got two drakes, so hustle up!"

"You're not gonna put me back in a cage, you shitty human!" Gajeel roared, then dropped to all fours with a snarl. His tail shot forward like a scorpion's and stabbed the leader with a sharp point, piercing the man all the way through.

The leader shrieked for a second before Gajeel hurled him aside, cracked him against the cave wall, and dropped the man from the his tail with no life in his eyes.

Natsu grabbed a man in his jaws and threw him away, spitting out blood with a snarl, "There's a lot of these bastards, aren't there?!"

"All the more fun for us!" Gajeel cackled as he slashed his front claw sideways and rendered a man into three pieces, "Gee-hee!"

This drake is just plain crazy, Natsu thought, but he had to admit the Iron Drake was a really good fighter. Every slash, stomp, and bite resulted in another lifeless man, making the other slavers more hesitant to attack.

One of the men suddenly dodged his bite and rushed between the Flame Drake's legs. Natsu shifted so he could dodge a stab to the underbelly, but the man ignored him and ran straight past.

Natsu's blood went cold. The hatchlings?!

He spun and pulled back to snap at the man, but he was too late.

The man whipped out a sword and hacked at the bound hatchling, the light green, taking its head off with that single stroke. The hatchling's body spasmed for a moment, then went still.

Natsu was horrified, but then the man grabbed the head and tried to run past him again with a grunt, "At least we get a trophy! Now let's hightail it, boys!"

Now he felt a blazing, red-hot fury in his chest.

Trophy?

Natsu sucked in a deep breath, deeper than any breath he'd taken before, and-

Gajeel snarled at the man, "Why you piece of sh-"

"BURN!"

Natsu's furious roar was followed immediately by a raging torrent of fire that filled the cavern, engulfing the whole group of slavers in it's burning might. The men screamed as one, but couldn't even move before the inferno turned them, their clothes, and their weapons to nothing but ash. And when the ashes started to fall, Natsu kept the blaze going and incinerated those too.

When the fire finally stopped, it was as if the men had never been there. The dead hatchling's head was also gone. Probably for the best.

Gajeel stared at him with surprise, "Damn…That was pretty good…"

"I can't believe those bastards." Natsu spat, still utterly furious, "How dare they go after a defenseless hatchling! A trophy, he said, a trophy! It makes my blood boil!"

"I hear ya, but these god-forsaken spawn won't be taking any more dragons from these lands." Gajeel growled, "At least we saved one of the runts. It'll do alright, I reckon."

Natsu sighed and put his anger away for a moment, "But what do we do with it? I heard that one, if not both of its parents are probably dead or missing…"

"U-umm…"

The pale blue hatchling, walked up and nervously prodded Natsu's leg. He glanced down at the little dragon, whose light voice identified it was a young female, "Th-thank you for saving me…"

Natsu offered a smile, "It's okay. I'm not about to let humans do what they want with dragons. Are you hurt?"

The little dragon shook her head and asked nervously, "Wh-what are your names?"

The Flame Drake grinned, "You can call me Natsu."

"And I'd be Gajeel." the Iron Drake grunted.

"U-um, I'm Wendy, if you were wondering…" the little blue female seemed to shrink.

Natsu leaned down and licked the young dragon's forehead reassuringly, "You don't have to be afraid anymore, Wendy. We'll keep you safe."

"Well, you can." Gajeel grunted, "I'm getting outta here. I've got a territory to raid."

Natsu whipped his head to stare at the Iron Drake, "Well, what about her?"

Gajeel rolled his eyes, "Look, I just came here from the southern continent so I could take over one of these Thunders. I ain't gonna live in my old man's shadow, I'm gonna rule this whole damn continent!"

But Natsu was surprised, "You're from the southern continent too?"

Now Gajeel was equally surprised, "Too? Wait, that's where you came from?! Why the hell did you come here? Don't tell me you want this land too!"

"No, I was…" Natsu sighed, "Look, my father was killed by Acnologia and my mother was taken down by humans. I just came here to rest and recover before I go home to kill that black beast."

Gajeel's mouth fell open, but then the drake started laughing, "Gee-heehehehehahaha! Kill Acnologia?! Are you insane, kid?!"

"Oh, I'll do it." Natsu growled, "Now that I've got my breath attack, I'll incinerate that monster."

"I'd like to see you try." Gajeel chuckled, "Look, you can't beat that thing. And definitely not alone. You'll just be handing yourself to Acnologia on a silver platter!"

Natsu lashed his tail, "Well, what do you suggest I do?!"

"I'll tell you what." Gajeel grinned, "I'm going for the strongest Thunder in this land, but it's leader is supposedly this ancient drake with one hell of a reputation. I don't think I can take him down on my own, so how about you and I team up for a bit, eh?"

This surprised Natsu, "Wait, you want me to help you conquer a group of dragons? Why?"

Gajeel snickered, "If we become the leaders of that Thunder, they'll have to listen to us, right? So we can take the Thunder to the southern continent and kill Acnologia! With that many dragons, we can definitely kill it! Then we'll be so strong, we might just be able to rule BOTH the northern, and southern continents! Think about that!"

Natsu did think about it. But he quickly became doubtful, "How? What are we, two half-grown drakes and a hatchling who doesn't even have her wings yet! We can't take over a human city, much less an entire group of dragons."

"Yeah, I admit it's a long shot and it'll probably take a while." Gajeel muttered, "But what other options do we have? You and I both want a purpose, right? Well, this is something we just have to try if we're going to fulfill those purposes. So are you in, or aren't you?"

Natsu stared at him and considered the possibilities. What Gajeel said was true- He stood no chance, even with his breath against a beast like Acnologia, but if he had an entire group of dragons on his side…he might have a chance. With territory would come a supply of food and shelter he could use to build up until it was time to assault the great black dragon.

It was a chance. Slight, but a chance nonetheless.

So he took it.

"I'm in." Natsu answered, then glanced down at Wendy, "You know, you don't have to get involved with this. It's going to be really dangerous…"

Wendy shook her head, "No, I want to join! I have to find my mom! She got away from the slavers! I'm sure she's looking for me somewhere!"

"Then that's three of us." Gajeel grunted, then bared his fangs in a grin, "So let's get out of this hellhole and make for the center of the continent. That's where the Thunder we're after is supposed to be."

Natsu opened his mouth to agree, then paused, "Before we do that, I'm not leaving any other humans who come here with a dragon's body." He turned and, still feeling angry that he hadn't saved it, burned the dead hatchling's body until it was just a pile of ashes.

Gajeel muttered approval, "At least the little guy can rest in peace like this. No humans fighting over his scales or claws or whatever else humans want from dragons."

The Flame Drake lifted Wendy and placed her on his back. Even though she was a three year old, she was surprisingly small and light, but he had no complaints. Flying with a heavy dragon on his back would have quickly become exhausting.

The two drakes walked out of the cave and into morning light, where Natsu glanced at Gajeel, "So, tell me about this Thunder we're going after."

Gajeel took off and Natsu flew after him, realizing that the Iron Drake's wings, while not flexible, must have used some sort of magnetism to make him hover. Even if it was magnetism, Gajeel was surprisingly fast, getting ahead of Natsu with little effort.

"Hey, answer me!" Natsu shouted.

Gajeel glanced back and grinned, "It's full of tough drakes, a lot of dragonelles," At that, his grin widened, "and it's got one of the weirdest names for a Thunder I've ever heard of."

Natsu raised a scaly eyebrow, "What's it called?"

"Fairy Tail."


	9. Three Dragons

**Okay, next chapter introduces new characters, but this one sets the stage for Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy's attacks on Fairy Tail's territory. That's about it, so as always, thanks for reading!**

 **P.S. Please review!  
**

Chapter 9: Three Dragons

The three dragons traveled for nearly a week before they were at the edge of the territory Gajeel had told them of.

They had chosen to spend the night in a well-hidden cave in a cliffside that overlooked a huge plain. In the grassland, they could see buffalo, deers, and even huge, hairy elephants eating the rich grasses. The hairy elephants were, in fact, mammoths. Even though it was summer, the huge animals seemed to be unaffected by the heat, however that worked.

Natsu was standing guard by the entrance of the cave while Gajeel and Wendy checked it out, but he was really transfixed by the huge masses of animals wandering the plains before him.

"Looks alright. There's a big cavern in the back where we can build a nest for at least two full size dragons. I think we should make this our base." Gajeel grunted, "It's far enough so that few dragon patrols will come here, there's plenty of food, it's hidden, and easily defensible."

"There's a water pool in the back." Wendy padded out from a large, winding path with a smile, "It's fresh, clean water. I think it's from an underground reservoir or something, but it's really tasty."

Natsu nodded, "So we all agree that we should stay here?" At the agreement of the other two, Natsu looked back over the plains, "I don't think this should be our only base, though. It'll get really obvious if we stay here for long- the other dragons will definitely notice the prey disappearing from the plains."

Gajeel shrugged, "That's fine. So, we'll switch locations every few weeks, work around the territory and raid human villages while we're at it. That'll piss em' off."

Wendy frowned, "Why attack the humans?"

"Because the humans support the Thunders." Gajeel sighed, "As crazy as it sounds, the humans actually allow the dragons to live by their cities and damn near worship them as long as the Thunder defends them from outside threats. Like us." The Iron Drake bared his fangs in a grin, "But they won't even know what hit em'."

Natsu shook his head in amazement, "I still don't get how dragons and humans could coexist on this continent. I mean, the first humans I met here killed my mother, and the next were trying to kidnap dragons."

"Yeah, I know about the coastal ones." Gajeel muttered, "They were attacked a few years back by a dragon, or so I was told. It was a nasty surprise, so they adopted a, "Kill first, ask questions later" approach when dragons came by."

"What about those slave traders?" Wendy asked, seeming to shrink from the thought of the barbaric men.

Gajeel curled his lip in a sneer, "Those bastards work for a King in another country of this continent. Apparently, the old geezer is building a, "Revolutionary Army" of men and dragons to take over the world. Bah! He's just turning dragons into flying horses! Men are supposed to ride them, ride! Can you believe that?! It's just ridiculous!"

Natsu scraped the rocky floor with his claws angrily, "You know, I think one of the first things we should do when we take over this Thunder is put that bastard in his place. I'll bet he's never tried fighting a dragon before. We ought to see how he handles one of us baring our fangs at him."

Wendy nodded, "And he's kidnapped so many dragons already…My mom might be one of them! She got away, but I think she was hurt…they could have caught up with her…"

"Yeah, we have to free those dragons as well." Natsu growled, "So that's the plan. Raid this Thunder's land until they're weak enough for us to hammer them hard. We'll take them over, build up our forces, and move in on that bastard who's kidnapping dragons. After that, we head south and wipe Acnologia off the face of the planet. Sound good?"

"Sounds like a plan, I'd say. Gee-hee!" Gajeel cackled.

Wendy smiled with determination, "We'll definitely do it! We can definitely free the dragons and make the mean black one go away!"

Natsu grinned, "So, let's get a good night's sleep and we'll start scouting the territory tomorrow. Once we know what we're dealing with, we'll hit them from the weakest point, and just work our way up until they can't ignore us anymore. Goodnight, guys."

"Sweet dreams!" Wendy chirped.

Gajeel yawned, "Yeah, sure, whatever." The Iron Drake trudged to the big cavern he'd spoken of and was soon heard lying down. A moment later, a deep snoring reverberated through the cave.

Wendy turned to follow him, but glanced at Natsu, "What about you?"

"I'm gonna keep watch for a bit." Natsu said, "You get some sleep."

The young dragon hesitated, then went towards him instead and settled down at the Flame Drake's side.

Natsu raised an eyebrow, "You okay?"

"It's cold back there." Wendy mumbled.

Natsu realized that he couldn't tell if it was cold or not because of his inner flame, so he spread one wing and blanketed it over the little dragon.

Wendy opened one eye and smiled, "Thank you."

"No problem." Natsu said, "Can't have you freezing before we find your mom, can we?"

"Nope." she hummed with laughter, then sighed, "I hope my mom's okay…"

He nodded, "So do I. I really hope she's still alive…" Natsu trailed off and stared into the distance.

Wendy glanced at him, "Your mom died, didn't she?"

"Yes." he murmured.

"Your dad, too?" she asked.

Natsu nodded, "We were…we were living in a volcano. The day after I got my wings, an earthquake made the volcano erupt. When we tried to get my parent's Dragon Jewel out of the volcanic pit, Acnologia attacked us."

He shivered at the memory, "It got me first. I never even saw it coming. That's how I got this scar on my neck, see?" Natsu shifted his head so the huge slash mark from the black dragon's fangs was clearly visible to the young dragon.

Wendy shuddered, "That looks like it hurt a lot…"

"It nearly killed me." he admitted, "But my mother and I got away because my father stayed behind to fight that monster. After that…well, we headed for the ocean and flew over here."

Natsu decided to avoid bringing Kagura into the conversation. He would never be able to admit to Wendy, and especially Gajeel that he'd once been friends with a human.

He shook his head to clear the girl from his thoughts and continued, "But we came onto a human city when we finally reached the continent. Mother…" Natsu blinked moisture from his eyes and spoke coldly, "Those humans just didn't let up. I tore the ship apart and killed its crew, but I couldn't protect her…I was too weak…"

Wendy frowned, "I don't think you're weak. You saved me and Gajeel, how could you be weak?"

"It's probably because I didn't have my breath attack back then." Natsu muttered, "In fact, that time at the cave was the first time I used my breath. I'd never been so angry in my life until I saw what those humans did."

"But you're not weak." Wendy insisted, "Maybe you weren't as strong as you are now, but you aren't weak. You took down the whole ship and crew, didn't you? But you're not even fully grown! Just imagine how strong you'll be when your an adult dragon!"

Natsu smiled. He couldn't help it, what with Wendy's optimism and cheerful words. He lay his head down and murmured, "Thanks, Wendy. That means a lot."

"I know." she hummed, "You needed someone to make you feel better, and no offense to Gajeel, but I think he'd just tell you to toughen up."

Natsu laughed for the first time in a long time at that. Indeed, Gajeel would have been curt about his story to say the least.

Wendy smiled now that he was no longer depressed and closed her eyes, "Goodnight, Natsu."

"Yeah, you too." he chuckled, then focused back on the dark plains for watch duty.

But the night didn't seem so dark anymore.

/\/\/\/\/\

The next morning, there was a problem.

Gajeel's belly rumbled loudly, almost as loudly as the Iron Drake's snoring.

Not that Natsu or Wendy mentioned this to him.

"Damn, I'm starved." Gajeel complained, "Maybe we should get something to eat before we go out looking for another temporary base."

"You know, I'm pretty hungry too, Natsu." Wendy added.

Natsu sighed, "Alright, let's go hunting. What do you two want?"

"Mammoth." Gajeel grunted.

Natsu blinked, "Say again? I don't think I heard you right."

"Mammoth." Gajeel repeated.

The cave was quiet for a moment.

"…You're crazy." Natsu decided, "We're not-"

"-strong enough to take out a hairy elephant?" Gajeel demanded, "Have you forgotten what we can do? We can fly, you can breathe fire, and me," The Iron Drake grinned, "My breath can shred just about anything in sight. What are we up against? Oh, yeah, a big, furry animal with a couple of pointy tusks. Ooh, so scary."

Natsu hesitated, but Wendy spoke up, "Natsu, I think this might be a good idea. I mean, you and Gajeel could eat something as big as a buffalo and still be hungry, but one mammoth might be enough for the three of us to eat and not have to hunt again. And it might help your confidence."

"I don't have confidence issues." he muttered.

Gajeel saw the weakness and dug in, "Yeah, right! You were just worried about tackling a walking mountain of meat! How do you expect to take down a Thunder with that attitude, huh?!"

Natsu bared his fangs, "I'll do what I have to when I have to! You think I'm afraid of prey, is that it?!"

"That's what it sounds like, you damn flame brain!" Gajeel bellowed.

That was it.

Natsu roared, "I'll show you! I'll take the damn mammoth down myself! I'm all fired up!"

"Well then, GO!" Gajeel roared back, "We're hungry, you punk!"

Natsu flew out of the cave without another word, just snarling with anger.

Wendy giggled once he was gone, "Gajeel, you did that on purpose."

"That I did." Gajeel cackled, "And I don't even have to hunt my lunch. Gee-hee!"

/

"Afraid of prey. Bah!" Natsu muttered to himself. He flew up over the herds on the plain and scanned the mammoths for a suitable target. He found the biggest bull he could see and made his decision.

Natsu dove down silently, then landed on the beast's back with a roar, sinking his claws in deep and snapping at its neck.

The mammoth trumpeted in panic and shook itself violently, trying to dislodge him. Natsu was surprised by its power, realizing that the beast was plenty strong enough to fight back. It nearly shook him off, had Natsu not dug in and braced himself for the mammoth's thrashing.

He lashed his tail and folded his wings to keep his balance while the mammoth tried to shake him off, trumpeting with ridiculous volume. Natsu struggled to hold on and bit down on the huge animal's neck, but quickly realized that the thick fat in its body made piercing the arteries and veins difficult.

The mammoth, now beyond reason, started running, which resulted in the whole herd bolting into a stampede. Natsu clung on for dear life, knowing if he fell, he'd be trampled to death.

This isn't working so well, he thought. Natsu considered using fire, but that wasn't how he typically killed prey. It almost seemed like cheating. The other animal couldn't breathe fire- why should he?

That said, he wasn't coming up with many alternatives.

"Oi, oi, seriously!?"

He looked up as Gajeel flew overhead with an astounded look, "You're crazy!"

"Well don't just watch, help me out!" Natsu roared.

The Iron Drake dove down with a bellow, making the stampeding herd panic even more and scatter. Once he had a clear shot, Gajeel flew low and rammed into the mammoth's side, making it go off-balance.

Natsu leaped off as the mammoth toppled to the ground and trumpeted with alarm. He skidded to a stop and spun around to face the huge animal as it struggled to its feet. Gajeel was already on top of it, sinking his fangs into the beast's neck with as much force as he could muster. Natsu rushed the mammoth and attacked from the other side before it could shake the Iron Drake loose.

The two drakes locked their jaws onto the mammoth's neck and held on, gripping the monster's tusks with their claws to keep its head still. But it was unbelievably powerful, strong enough to rear up on its hind legs with an earth-shaking bellow, then slam into the ground and almost stun them into releasing it.

Hellfire, it's strong! Natsu thought in shock.

"Gee-heehehahaha!" Gajeel laughed crazily, even though his jaws were still firmly clamped on the mammoth's neck.

The mammoth kept trumpeting and thrashing in an effort to make them release it, but the dragons held fast and stubbornly refused to let go.

/\/\/\/\/\

It took nearly an hour for the mammoth to finally grow too exhausted to fight back, while Natsu and Gajeel were equally tired. They'd been shaken all over the place and would definitely feel it in the morning, but the two drakes hadn't let go despite the difficulty.

They still hadn't pierced the mammoth's vulnerable arteries, but their grip on it's neck was making it suffocate. At last, when the beast no longer had enough oxygen to keep going, it collapsed to its knees.

Gajeel let it go and pulled back to ram into its side, making the mammoth topple over. Natsu quickly leaped back to avoid getting crushed by its huge bulk, but he was on it again almost immediately.

The two drakes clamped down on the throat for another two minutes before the mammoth finally gave up and died.

Natsu sat back and panted for breath, "Geez…that wasn't…hard at all…"

"What are..you tired for…?" Gajeel gasped, "That was..easy…you wimp…"

Natsu glared at him, "What..was that?"

Gajeel bared his fangs, "You're…a wimp…"

The plains were silent for a brief moment.

Natsu lunged at Gajeel and tackled him with a roar, "I'll show you who's the wimp, you scrap-iron bastard!"

"Bring it on, you damn flame brain!" Gajeel bellowed and threw him aside.

While the two drakes started snapping and slashing at each other, they failed to notice Wendy, who had come down from the cliff on her own, pad up and stare at them as she came close to the mammoth carcass.

The little dragon licked her lips and smiled happily, "Well, thanks for the meal, you two!"

And she proceeded to eat while the drakes continued to fight.

/\/\/\/\/\

Later, the three dragons simply relaxed in the cave to recover their lost strength.

Wendy sighed, "Wow…I haven't been so full in my life…"

"I second that." Gajeel agreed, then belched.

Natsu snorted, "That mammoth was pretty good, wasn't it? But now we should probably leave this area for a while. Even between the three of us, we couldn't eat the whole thing. Other animals are bound to notice a half-eaten mammoth just lying out in the plains."

"You mean other dragons." Gajeel muttered, "You're probably right. Well, now that we've had breakfast, let's head out. I'm going to head to the eastern part of this territory. You and Wendy should head west. We'll hit Fairy Tail hard from both ends of their turf."

"Why do you think it's called Fairy Tail?" Wendy asked curiously, "I mean, it's not a bad name, but still…where did they come up with that?"

"One way to find out." Natsu got up and stretched, "We beat this Thunder and ask them. So let's move."

Gajeel grunted, "Right. We'll meet up here every three weeks. In between those meetings, we raid the human villages, hunt the Thunder's prey, and wreak whatever other havoc we can until they're so confused and divided that we can attack them head on."

Natsu and Wendy murmured agreement.

From there, Gajeel flew off east to begin their plan, while Natsu carried Wendy west to do the same.

/\/\/\/\/\

A week after they separated, Gajeel came to a small valley with a human settlement built in the center. It looked fairly prosperous, with many people, livestock, and homes concentrated inside a few square miles. The people looked happy, relaxed.

Safe.

Not for long, Gajeel thought as he licked his lips and grinned, "Gee-hee…"

/

On the opposite side of the territory, Natsu spotted a watch tower in a forested region.

Wendy called down from his back, "You think they've seen us already?"

"I'm sure they have." Natsu answered, "But we'll leave a few of them alive. If Fairy Tail knows that it's got attackers, they'll be on edge. And if we never attack them directly, they'll just get edgier and edgier until they snap from the inside. That's what we're aiming for- so let's blow up the tower and terrorize a few people."

"Um…I might not be so good at that…" Wendy muttered weakly.

Natsu offered a grin back at her, "You don't have to do much. Just hiss and growl, snap at a few people, and don't get hurt. Leave the rest to me."

"O-okay!" she replied, seeming to be a little relieved.

"Alright, let's go!" Natsu bellowed and dove for the watch tower, already hearing the shouts of panicking men.

The takeover had begun.


	10. The Building Storm

**Okay, so now a few more characters are being introduced, but many more will come into play in the next few chapters. As always, thanks for reading and PLEASE review!**

Chapter 10: The Building Storm

The dragonelle woke up and yawned, stretching like a cat in her soft nest. Her powerful legs flexed, as did her long, lithe tail and light brown claws. Sharp, white teeth flashed in the morning light, appearing lethal, but beautiful at the same time. Feathered, almost angel-like wings ruffled on the dragonelle's shoulders to help her wake up. Her body was covered in long, thin scales that looked like fur from a distance- colored pure, snow white with grayish-blue stripes like a tiger's.

She blinked the sleep out of her blue eyes and looked around. The dragonelle's surroundings consisted of a large room with glass windows in the side of a mountain. Her nest took up a corner of the room, with a small area on the other side where she had a few personal belongings on a rocky shelf. It was made mostly of soft sheep wool, with a few feathers here and there. A few meters from the nest was a small pool of water, which she took a quick drink from.

As she got up and glanced out through the huge glass windows, the dragonelle could see a human city at the base of the mountain, with people already awake and getting on with their usually daily routines. She yawned again, then shook herself and walked out through a large tunnel out of her room and into a great hall.

The hall was straight and rectangular in shape, with one end going deep into the mountain, and the other, the exit, towering high over the human city. Large staircases on either side of the hall led to upper floors in the mountain, where more caves like the dragonelle's could be seen. The caverns lined the hall, and while most were empty, a few showed signs of life stirring in the morning sun.

In fact, three other dragons were already up and about in the hall.

One of them, a smaller than average blue dragon with big brown eyes, looked up at her cheerily, "Morning, Lisanna! Did you sleep good?"

"Yeah, I did. What about you, Levy?" Lisanna asked.

Levy nodded, "Yup, I had the greatest inspiration last night in my dreams! I just have to tell Lucy! It'll make her so excited!"

Lisanna laughed, "Yeah? I'll have to read those stories of her sometime. You make them sound like the best thing in the world."

"And what's the best thing in the world to you, Lisanna?" Another white dragon, this one with black feathered black wings and markings, asked.

"Oh, come on, Mira, you've asked me that question for the longest time!" Lisanna complained.

Mira smiled mischievously, "You know, a drake isn't going to just come out of nowhere. You have to catch their eye if you really want attention."

"Miraaaa!" she whined, "Stop it, that's a secret! I can't even have a mate without being forced to leave the Thunder! I don't want that!"

Levy shook her head, "I hate that rule. It's no fair, and it's just an old tradition. Why can't we ever have mates? Why is it just the dominant pair? And more importantly, we don't even HAVE a dominant pair! Makarov's mate died forever ago and his grandson is more interested in being annoying than being a romantic!"

"I think Laxus is great." Mira defended.

"Mira, no offense to your taste, but he's a selfish jerk." Lisanna said dryly.

"Hey!"

The three dragonelles turned towards a large black and green mottled drake with a rather angry look on his face, "Laxus is the strongest drake in the Thunder! He's a much better dragon than any other drake could possibly hope to be, and his power is second to none in Fiore!" He started ranting about why Laxus was clearly the best, not noticing the dragonelles looking away from him.

Mira sighed, "Freed's at it again…"

"Do you think it's possible for the dominant pair to be two drakes?" Levy muttered under her breath.

Lisanna shuddered at the thought, "I don't want to find out!" She shook her head and started walking towards the huge gap in the mountain that led to the outside.

"Lisanna, where are you going?"

Lisanna looked up and behind her as a large, silver dragonelle covered in blade-like feathers walked out of her cavern. The dragonelle's neck also had petal-like scales that were colored a bright scarlet. Her dark brown eyes were stern, but kind.

"I'm just going to go hunt, Erza!" Lisanna called.

Erza stretched and sighed, "I see. Have you told Makarov?"

She shook her head, "No, I didn't want to wake him up. He's probably really tired. I'm pretty sure he tried drinking against Cana again last night."

"How that human defeats a centuries-old drake in drinking contests is a wonder to me." Erza muttered, but smiled at her friend, "Alright, I'll tell him when he wakes. How long will you be gone?"

Lisanna clicked her claws and looked outside thoughtfully, "Hmm..maybe a week? I really want some fresh air. I've been cooped up in this city for months."

Erza nodded, "I understand. With those ruffian dragons around, we've been forced to keep from roaming our own territory to avoid conflict. I don't know why Makarov hasn't sent out a patrol to deal with them, but in the meantime, be careful out there."

"I will. Bye!" Lisanna chirped, then walked through the huge doorway and leaped out into open air.

The Fairy Tail Thunder Hall was built high above the human city, which was called Magnolia, in the face of a huge mountain that created a natural fortress on either side. Opposite the Thunder Hall, one the other end of Magnolia was a huge lake, and beyond that, the forests.

Lisanna flew for the southern woods, but she wouldn't stop there. Years ago, before the strange dragons had started raiding their territory, she had found a secret place deep in the forest. That place was her special hunting grounds.

It was also a place of sanctuary for her. Whenever Lisanna was bothered by something, she'd fly out to her secret place and spend some time pondering whatever was on her mind. Usually, it was the strict rules of the Thunder system.

In a Thunder, two dragons usually ruled, an adult drake and dragonelle who were mated partners. Those two would lead the Thunder, direct how it's forces were spread, and also spend time promoting the dragon's human relations. It wasn't a bad system, and the Fairy Tail leader, Makarov, was a kind old drake, one who didn't mind if his dragons did their own thing from time to time.

But that system had a drawback. Perhaps by old suspicions, the original founders of the Thunder system hadn't trusted their dragons to have mates and offspring of their own. The reason for this was the reason why dragons in the south only lived in single family groups: Parents wanted the best for their young, and would sometimes kill the competition's offspring to further increase the chances for their young's survival. It was a cruel twist of fate, but it was actually one of the core instincts a parent dragon possessed.

So somehow, the suspicion had become an iron rule that if broken, was severely punishable: Only the dominant pair, the leaders, could have offspring of their own, and when they passed on, it was usually their young that led, and therefore made up the bloodlines. Most of the dragons in the Thunder were ones who had joined by choice from elsewhere, or had nowhere else to go, or wanted to live amongst the humans in peace. Those dragons weren't allowed to have young, or even a mate, and many had spent their lives without a lifelong partner.

Lisanna didn't want that.

She loved her Thunder and her friends, but the iron rule of never having a mate was what often made her frustrated with the system. Which was why she flew out alone sometimes. So she could vent her frustration without becoming a target of suspicion by the leader.

If anyone other than her sister and close friends found that Lisanna just WANTED a mate, it wasn't likely that Makarov would let her leave as often as she did, out of the suspicion that she might be meeting with a drake outside of the city. He stuck rigidly to that ancient tradition, probably because of his son, Ivan, who hadn't turned out to be such a great drake.

Lisanna wasn't meeting a drake, though. The drakes in Fairy Tail didn't interest her at all. Even if she wanted to have a mate, she didn't want to leave her Thunder. It was an inner dilemma for her that constantly tormented Lisanna's heart. But she was still uncertain as to what she wanted more: Her Thunder, or a mate.

I wish I could have both…

/

Further south of the Fairy Tail Thunder, a human town was burning violently. People screamed as flames poured down from the sky and burned down everything in sight.

A huge, crimson dragon with pink flame markings along his jaws and neck landed in the center of the town and bellowed, unleashing a fury that sent people, animals, and buildings flying everywhere.

The dragon glared at a group of soldiers who were either brave or stupid enough to challenge him. The soldiers charged, but the red dragon unleashed a blast of fire that literally turned them to ash in less than a second.

Now unguarded, the dragon stalked through the devastated town and started to feed. A pig was quickly cooked and devoured. Then a small cow. The dragon found that it wasn't completely satisfied and noticed a group of humans trying to flee into the surrounding forest.

With a roar, the dragon rammed into the trees, knocking them over so the humans couldn't escape.

One man slashed at his nose with a sword, but the dragon shoved him back with a swing of his paw and knocked him out. The other humans dragged the unconscious man back and cowered under the dragon's glare, a group of perhaps ten.

An older human shouted up at the dragon, "What is the meaning of this, young drake?!"

The drake snorted, "Isn't that obvious? I'm hungry. I need food."

"Lord Makarov will destroy you for this!"

The young drake sneered with bared fangs, "'Lord' Makarov will probably be outcast at my claws in a matter of months. I'm taking over this part of the country, and anyone who opposes me will be burned."

The old man opened one eye and appraised the brash young drake, "You are either very confident or very foolish to challenge Lord Makarov. Who are you, flame dragon?"

The drake licked his lips, "That's none of your concern. All I'll tell you is that I'm a dragon from the southern continent."

The old man closed his eyes, "Then leave my family be. I shall die in their place."

A quick observation of the other humans told the drake it was unlikely they were the old man's family, but he relented, "I will respect your request. You other humans, leave now, or I'll eat you."

The other humans scattered like frightened mice from an eagle.

"So it was true…" the old man sighed, "Man eaters from the south. How ominous that you've shown up now. Heed my warning, young drake: Lord Makarov is a mighty dragon, and he will not fall even to your strong flame. You are flying to your death."

"Do I look like a fool to you?" the drake growled, "I didn't come alone. There are others at my side who will challenge that old dragon."

The old man's eyes flew wide open, "What!?"

"Our group will defeat Makarov." the drake hissed, "And then we'll take over the continent. It's already as good as ours, anyway. The dragons here are so soft, it's pathetic. Not once have they even shown themselves to us."

"I see…" the old man bowed his head, "Then…Remember this, young drake."

He looked the huge dragon in the eye with the fierce light of a man many years younger, "An old proverb for you to ponder: Hope is the last to die."

And then the drake flamed him, too.

The dragon watched the old man's ashes slowly settle on the ground with narrowed eyes.

Hope is the last to die?

"Gee-hee. Not bad, Salamander."

The drake glanced skyward as a huge, silver-black dragon landed on two legs and grinned at him while it's metallic wings folded up, "You really made a mess this time. And here I was thinking your taste for wanton destruction was almost useful…"

"What do you want, Gajeel?" the drake demanded.

Gajeel smirked, "Wendy freed a captive dragon the other day from the Dragon Slavers outside the territory. She's gotten bolder ever since her wings came in. I don't think it'll be long until she gains her breath. I took down another town yesterday." The Iron Drake raised his head proudly.

The Flame Drake snorted, "We've been raiding this territory on and off for seven years and thwarting the Dragon Slavers at every chance. When are we going to actually attack the Thunder? I haven't seen another dragon other than you and Wendy for all that time."

"It won't be long now." Gajeel hissed, "We're close, Salamander. Another month, maybe two of making serious raids they can't ignore, and then we'll attack head on."

"We'd better." the Flame Drake muttered, "There's no challenge in destroying human villages. It's just a way to kill time and my boredom, these days."

Gajeel grunted agreement, "Yeah, I hear ya. I've gotten so strong, I don't even use my breath half the time I go raiding…I'm going to head east and rendezvous with Wendy. I imagine she's already tired of being alone again."

"I know I am." he sighed, "Even though you and her are like my siblings…I'd like to meet another dragon soon. That was the entire purpose of this takeover. So we could amass dragons to kill Acnologia. Right now though, I'd take other dragons just for the company."

"In time, Salamander." Gajeel's wings spread and he started flying away, throwing a farewell over his shoulder, "Well, I'll tell Wendy ya miss her. See you around!"

The Salamander grunted acknowledgement and also took off, hovering in a lazy circle while he pondered what to do next.

How should I get food next? Hmm…raid…hunt…raid…hunt…

He noted the great expanse of forest north of the town and decided. He would hunt his prey next, not steal it from another human village.

So the Salamander flew away from the burning ruins of the human village, leaving utter destruction in his wake.

I am a Flame Drake from the southern continent.

I have come to the northern continent to grow strong enough to challenge Acnologia when I return home. Acnologia, who slew my father, the Flame Dragon King Igneel.

I will do absolutely whatever I can to defeat the black dragon and destroy the Dragon Slavers who have been killing and stealing dragons for all this time.

My name is Natsu, the Flame Drake. And since I came to this place…

Seven years have passed.


	11. Encounter

**This is what the dragon names are referred to.**

 **Drake: A male dragon. More commonly referred to like this when the dragon gets his wings and breath attack.**

 **Dragonelle: A female dragon. Same thing as the above.**

 **Dragon: A reference to either of these.  
**

Chapter 11: Encounter

Lisanna flew over the vast stretch of woods for two days before she reached her secret place of hunting and sanctuary. She could smell deer everywhere beneath the canopy of trees, and the young dragonelle loved the thrill of the hunt. But more than anything, she loved how peaceful the forest was.

With the sun dipping, she decided to rest in the hidden waterfall cave she had discovered a few years earlier. Lisanna flew through the cascade and into the cave, shaking herself dry before heading to the back and circling in a makeshift nest before she settled down.

Her mind once again wandered to the ever-present dilemma in her heart. Lately, her dreams were often haunted by a faceless drake flying beside her. She wasn't the only one with dreams like that, either. It was normal for dragonelles, once they reached maturity, to desire a mate. If they ignored or rejected this desire, as dragonelles in Thunders had done for who knows how long, their body would try to make the desire too strong to resist.

Most dragonelles in Thunders found ways to resist the desires. But Lisanna had watched her sister become miserable doing this. Mira had held a soft spot for Laxus at one time, but his growing arrogance and uncaring attitude about his Thunder made her heart falter. It was tough for Mira, having allowed herself to become attracted to the great Lightning Drake and then be unable to do anything about it.

Watching that hadn't deterred Lisanna from wanting a mate, but she couldn't have a mate and live in the Fairy Tail Thunder at the same time. Not unless she wanted to be exiled.

Lisanna shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts from her mind. She needed to gather her strength for the hunt.

/

In the sky above the forest, something watched the dragonelle enter her hidden cavern with interest.

/

In the Fairy Tail Thunder Hall, a human messenger ran in with a message in his hands.

Levy saw the man rush by and called, "Hey, Jet, where are you off to in such a hurry?"

Jet glanced at the dragonelle with a mutter, "There was another dragon attack. Not fifty miles south of here."

"What?" Erza demanded, following the messenger to the back of the hall.

A huge, old dragon sat with several barrels of water beside him. He shook his head and grunted, "Blast, I can't believe I lost to Cana again. That human's stomach knows no bounds."

"Lord Makarov, there's trouble!" Jet ran up and knelt down with the message in his hands.

Makarov eyed the man and nodded, "Tell me what has happened."

"Two days ago, a dragon assaulted the Mistyoaks Village not fifty miles south of here. The town was burned to the ground. Only a few survived." Jet reported.

Makarov's eyes narrowed and his tail tip twitched, "I see…Another raid, eh? And quite close to the heart of our territory…These dragons are getting bolder. Seven years ago, it was just the occasional thievery of livestock...Is there anything else?"

"Yes, Lord!" Jet said, "For the first time since the raids began, we've gotten a description on the dragon that attacked! And in fact, a second dragon that appeared briefly after the town had been razed!"

"Well, let's hear it!" A dark colored drake with frozen horns on his head and ice spikes down his back bared his fangs in a snarl, "I want to hunt these bastards down!"

"Quiet, Gray." Makarov rumbled, "There will be no hunting until we know what we're up against. What was the description, Jet?"

Jet glanced at the report and spoke as he read, "Two drakes, adult size. One is a red with flame markings down the jaws and neck. He's the one who annihilated Mistyoaks. It appears he is a Fire Dragon. The other is a black and silver drake, slightly larger than the flame. It is unknown what type he is, but it would seem his body consists of a kind of metal, perhaps iron. Also, it would seem they are working in unison, but not following any particular leader."

Erza's eyes narrowed, "Two drakes? That's a surprise. I've never seen two drakes working together without domination issues. Is there anything else?"

Jet hesitated, but shook his head, "All that I know is that the town was razed in a matter of minutes. The Flame Drake at least, is a very powerful dragon."

"Well, we are powerful as well." Makarov said, "They'll strike soon. I can feel it in my bones. We must be ready for an imminent attack. Make sure the city is well defended and on high alert. Erza, I leave that to you."

"Consider it done." Erza bowed and immediately walked off while Makarov started giving Jet a return message to Magnolia's King. But her mind was only half-focused on her duty.

Lisanna flew south the same day this attack happened. If she meets either of those drakes out there…Please be safe, my friend.

/

When Lisanna woke up, light was streaming through the waterfall and into the cavern.

Morning already? she thought as she moved to stretch.

"Finally awake, are we?"

Lisanna's scales bristled at the growl, even more so when her nose caught the unfamiliar scent of another dragon in the cave. Her head whipped up with a hiss, but wasn't expecting the stranger to be so large.

A huge red drake towered over her, making her freeze. Where did he come from?!

The drake growled again, "Not very cautious. You didn't even hear me over the waterfall, did you? Either that or you're just a hard sleeper…"

Lisanna was still very nervous, but she decided to growl back, "Who are you?! What are you doing here?!"

The drake stared down at her, "I'm called Natsu. I saw you fly in here yesterday. Nice cave. It's not a bad find."

Lisanna measured herself against the intruder slowly.

Natsu was large, larger than her, that was for certain. Maybe not as huge as Laxus or Makarov, but his bulk was impressive nonetheless. It was hard to tell, but she guessed he was probably fifty feet long, with a height of at least twenty feet, though in the cave, with his head stooped low, it wasn't a sure thing. His scales were a rich, deep ruby color, with lighter pink markings in flame patterns going along his jaws and the sides of his neck.

Those jaws had huge white fangs. Natsu's claws were black, long, and very sharp looking. His wings, though folded, looked like a bat's, while his tail was long and muscular, but lithe. Two curved horns sprouted from the back of his head, marking him as a young drake that had only recently reached adult size.

Despite the fact that he wasn't a whole lot bigger than her, Lisanna cringed. There was an air of immense power about the drake, and she realized with more than a little fear that he could kill her with no problem.

If he wanted to, Natsu could probably break her in half.

More wary now, she asked another question, "What do you want with me?"

Natsu appraised her with sharp eyes. It felt to Lisanna like he was deciding whether or not he should eat her.

"…You're a part of the Fairy Tail Thunder, aren't you?" he asked.

Lisanna blinked, then glared at him, "And if I am? I'll bet you're one of the dragons that have been raiding our territory for the past seven years. Are you just here to kill me?"

Now Natsu blinked, "Why would I kill you?"

That confused her.

"W-well, isn't that why you came here?" Lisanna demanded, "You've been destroying every human settlement you come across! Maybe you haven't met one of the Fairy Tail dragons yet, but you're just aiming to wipe us out, aren't you?!"

"No, I'm not going to kill a single dragon, if I can help it." Natsu said unflinchingly.

Lisanna stared at him in disbelief, "I don't believe you. After what you've done to all of the humans, you're telling me you aren't here to kill us?!"

Natsu nodded, "That's exactly what I'm telling you."

"You're lying!" Lisanna hissed.

The Flame Drake's eye twitched, "I'm not-"

Lisanna lunged at him. The dragonelle snapped at the much larger Flame Drake, desperately hoping to catch him off-guard, but Natsu dodged effortlessly and struck back.

Suddenly, his jaws were clamped around her neck. Lisanna struggled to get free, but he didn't let go. She tried to slash him with her claws, but Natsu shoved her against the cave wall with a hiss.

Her heart was pounding with terror. He could kill her in the blink of an eye. In this damp cave, where no one could hear her if she cried for help. Her sanctuary suddenly seemed like a horrible place. At least, a horrible place to die.

But Natsu didn't snap her neck like she thought he would. He hissed through his teeth, "That wasn't very smart. Don't try it again." He released the grip on her neck, but reared up and pinned her down to the ground with his front legs.

Lisanna froze and whimpered in fright, "Wh-what are you going to do?"

"I'm just making sure you don't hurt yourself, stupid." he growled, "What the hell were you thinking, attacking a drake that's clearly stronger than you? Do you have a death wish or something?"

"What does it matter…You're going to kill me anyway…" she whispered.

"For the last time," Natsu sighed and pronounced every word slowly, "I'm. Not. Going. To. Kill. You."

Lisanna was trying to keep her breathing even, but it was coming out in rapid, frightened gasps, "Th-then why are you here?"

Natsu leaned his head down so he was eye level with her, "Because I haven't met another dragon in a long time. At least, a dragon aside from my comrades. And I haven't seen a dragonelle in almost seven years."

"So…" she muttered.

"I'm not going to hurt you." he said, "So please don't make me, because I don't want to."

Lisanna's eyes shifted up towards the huge drake, "Then what do you want?"

"Do you want to go hunting with me?" he asked.

Lisanna was caught off-guard. She wasn't sure she'd heard that right. "Wh-what'd you say?"

Natsu rolled his eyes, "Do you want to go hunting with me?"

She was most definitely surprised, but suddenly became suspicious, "What are you planning?"

"Not this again." he grumbled, "I just want to hunt with another dragon for once, okay? Is that too much to ask?"

"It is if you're planning to kill me when I least expect- hh!" Lisanna gasped as Natsu's clawed hand forced her jaws shut.

He looked her in the eye with an angry hiss, "Let's get something straight here. If I wanted to kill you, I could've ripped you out of the sky before you even got to this cave."

Lisanna cringed under the anger in his eyes. He wasn't going to take no for an answer. She swallowed as he let her go and nodded, "O-okay, I'll-"

"Wait." he interrupted with a sigh, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that. I just want to fly and hunt with another dragon for once. Since you're in a Thunder, you probably don't get it, but I hate being alone…"

Natsu trailed off, then muttered, "Don't agree to this if you think I'll hurt you otherwise. If you don't want to hunt with me, then go ahead. I won't stop you."

Lisanna took a moment to process that, and allowed herself to relax fractionally. Her scales stopped bristling and lay flat. She was still very wary of him, but more…curious now.

"…Are you going to attack me again, or can I release you without any problems?" he asked.

"…" Lisanna was still considering, trying to decide what her best option was. At least if she stayed, she could find out more about the Flame Drake.

Well…I guess…it couldn't hurt if it's just for today...

"Let me go, please." Lisanna said, to which Natsu complied. She stood up, noting again how much he dwarfed her, but also how he didn't appear threatening in any way. She gave him an even look, appearing calm even if she was still wary, "I'll go…I came here to hunt anyways."

Natsu nodded, "Alright, then. Oh, before I forget, what's your name?"

"Lisanna." she answered.

The Flame Drake grinned, "Well, come on, Lisanna. The deer won't catch themselves!"

He actually seems happy about this, Lisanna realized.

Natsu led the way out of the cave, leaping through the waterfall with a burst of spraying blue. The Flame Drake roared as he took to the sky. Lisanna could've sworn that the very air shook with his power, but it wasn't so frightening to her anymore.

Though that didn't mean it was friendly.

/\/\/\/\/\

For hours, the two dragons hunted down deer in the forest until they'd had their fill. Afterwards, they flew back to the cave, feeling almost sluggish after eating so much. Their hunt had been very good, catching maybe double what they'd have caught alone.

Natsu yawned and lay his head down, relaxing a bit while Lisanna studied him. The Flame Drake noticed this and stared back at her, "What is it?"

"I don't understand you." she answered.

He shrugged, "So, how do I change that?"

Lisanna's tail twitched, "Why are you so intent on taking over our territory? What do you get out of it?"

Natsu snorted, "Are you sure you'll believe me?"

"I want to hear it." she told him, "Then I'll decide."

"Okay…well, where do I start…?" Natsu was silent for a bit, then started again, "About seven years ago, I was still living in the southern continent across the ocean. My parents and I lived in a volcanic cave. We were happy for a long time."

He smiled bitterly, "It was the day after I got my wings. A huge black dragon appeared and attacked us when the volcano started to erupt. That's how I got this scar on my neck, see?" Natsu twisted his head so Lisanna could see the large scar that had ripped through his tough red scales.

Natsu went on, "My father was killed by that black dragon. My mother and I escaped, but we were wounded. We flew north across the ocean to get away from that monster, but when we arrived, the journey had exhausted us. There was a human city on the shore…and they ended up killing my mother."

Lisanna's eyes widened until Natsu finished, "From there, I flew further inland and met two other dragons. We made the plan to take over your Thunder. If we succeed, I was going to lead them back to the southern continent and destroy that black beast. I can't beat it alone."

She comprehended this for a time, and found that she felt sorry for the Flame Drake. I can actually understand why he's doing this. He's had it rough…

"…Look, I can't say I know what you went through, but was all the destruction really necessary?" she asked, "I mean, you could have just tried joining the Thunder. Wouldn't that have-"

"I'm sure your leader has heard of the black dragon." Natsu interrupted, "I doubt he would listen to me. He'd call me a fool and tell me to get lost."

Lisanna frowned, "Is it that bad?"

"You have no idea." Natsu growled, scraping the floor with his claws. His eyes locked onto the waterfall, but it seemed as though he were staring past it at an enemy only he could see. The Flame Drake's scales bristled, "That monster…Sometimes I wonder if it's really a dragon at all…"

"Well, you could have just asked." Lisanna said, "Makarov would have at least heard you out."

Natsu rolled his eyes, "Even if he did-"

"If you heard his answer, then you wouldn't have had to go through with this crazy takeover for the last seven years." she interrupted, "If he refused, then even if you took over the Thunder, we wouldn't have listened to you. We'd probably just rebel."

He stared at her for a bit, as if just realizing this. Lisanna made a show of cleaning her claws, quite aware that his gaze was still locked onto her. Finally, she glanced at him, "What?"

"Let me ask you something." Natsu murmured, "If you were in my position, with my options, what would you have done? If you knew you could never take on that black beast alone, and that this Thunder was your only chance of success, would you have just given up because they refused?"

Lisanna hesitated, "Well, I…" She considered his words for a while, then sighed, "I suppose not."

Natsu lay his head down and closed his eyes, apparently satisfied with that. In mere moments, he was asleep.

The dragonelle stared at him in disbelief. Really? He passed out faster than Erza when she gets drunk!

It was one of the oddest things she'd ever seen, how someone who'd been her enemy not hours ago could fall asleep so easily in her presence. He either didn't feel threatened by her at all, or he had grown comfortable around her.

Personally, Lisanna hoped it was the former. She could sympathize with how difficult his life had been, but it didn't excuse all the raiding he'd done. And there was no way she was going to get attached to a ruffian drake like him.

When I get back to the Thunder, I'm telling Makarov about this dragon. If he tries to attack us, we'll be ready for him. Sorry, Natsu.

So Lisanna fell asleep, hoping to wake up in the morning and fly off before Natsu woke up.

/\/\/\/\/\

She wasn't so fortunate.

Lisanna awoke to Natsu standing by the entrance, dousing his head in the waterfall. She almost pouted. So, you can fall asleep faster than a drunken Erza, but you wake up before the crack of dawn? This drake is just too weird.

Natsu shook himself, spraying water over his neck while his wings ruffled. The light coming through the waterfall glistened off of the wet, red scales and made it appear as though he was covered in red gemstones. It was transfixing.

Lisanna blinked. She whipped her gaze away from the Flame Drake, shaking her head and almost hissed to herself. Idiot! What are you staring at him for?!

"Oh, you're awake?"

She looked back up as Natsu retreated from the waterfall with a grin on his face, "I like this cave. Mind if I stay here for a while?"

"It's sort of my secret place…" Lisanna muttered.

"Well, if it's a problem, I can always stay somewhere else." Natsu offered.

He's getting too comfortable here. Lisanna thought critically. She got up and looked the Flame Drake in the eye, "I'm going back to my Thunder today."

"Okay." he replied.

She stared at him, "I'm going to tell Makarov that you're here."

Natsu raised a scaly eyebrow, "You're not going to tell him why I'm doing this?"

"No." Lisanna growled, "Even if you've had things rough, that's no excuse for raiding all the human villages. If you want him to hear your story, tell him yourself."

The Flame Drake shrugged, "Okay."

Lisanna was taken aback. What's with this drake?

"Aren't you worried that I'll come back with a storm of dragons behind me?" she demanded.

Natsu yawned.

Lisanna promptly cracked his side with a whip of her tail.

He snarled, "Hey!"

"Are you even listening to me?!" she hissed, "I could bring the whole of Fairy Tail over here to attack you!"

"So what are you waiting for?" Natsu demanded, "I'll be right here. Bring them all. I could care less."

Lisanna gaped at him, "You can't be serious."

"I'm completely serious." he muttered, "And don't worry about ambushes- my friends don't even know where I am, and I hate sneaky tactics like that anyway. I'll take all of you head on."

"You are insane." she managed, shaking her head in bewilderment.

Natsu snorted, "If you're going to destroy me, why would you care if I'm sane or not?" He stepped out of her path and jerked his head towards the waterfall, "Go on. Go bring them."

Lisanna hesitated. Is he actually serious? How can he be so carefree about a whole Thunder coming after him?

"Well?" Natsu was staring at her expectantly.

She was still for a time, then slowly walked past him. Lisanna glanced over her shoulder, "I'll be back here in probably four days. That's how long you have to clear out and fly for your life."

The Flame Drake rolled his eyes, "I'm not flying anywhere. See you around, Lisanna." With that, Natsu went to the back of the cave, lay down, and fell asleep in three seconds flat.

Lisanna stared at him for a while. Then she turned and flew through the waterfall to go home.


	12. Confrontation

Chapter 12: Confrontation

Two days after leaving the waterfall cave, Lisanna came home.

Erza was sitting at the entrance to the Thunder Hall, and visibly brightened when her friend came into view. Lisanna landed and the Blade Dragonelle met her with a smile, "I'm glad to see you're okay, Lisanna. We were worried about you."

Lisanna blinked, "Why?"

"A Flame Drake attacked a village fifty miles south of here, just over the forests where you were hunting." Erza told her.

Natsu, she realized. Lisanna nodded, "That reminds me, I have to tell you something."

Erza's eyes narrowed, "What? Did you see him? Was there a conflict?"

Lisanna opened her mouth to tell the Blade Dragonelle that she'd definitely seen him, but then faltered. She frowned. What am I hesitating for?

"Lisanna?" Erza said, trying to get her attention, "What's wrong?"

"I-I just…" she shook her head, "Sorry, I was just thinking that I may have seen the dragon, but all I really saw for certain was the smoke cloud. The human town is still burning…"

Erza studied her for a moment, then nodded, "I expect it is. That dragon is apparently quite powerful…Well, I'm glad you didn't run into him. There's no telling what would have happened. Go find Mira and Elfman, let them know you're okay, then go get some rest. You look exhausted."

Lisanna nodded in return, "Thank you, Erza."

As she padded past her friend, the Blade Dragonelle murmured, "And Lisanna? If there's anything else you need to tell me, I'll listen. Okay?"

Lisanna smiled tiredly, "Okay. I appreciate it."

Erza turned her gaze back towards the outside, while Lisanna walked slowly down the hall.

What happened? I couldn't tell her about Natsu and I lied! I didn't even think twice about it!

Lisanna shook her head. She was just tired. After some rest, maybe she wouldn't be so uncooperative.

So without even bothering to remember that Mira and Elfman still didn't know she was back, Lisanna retreated to her cavern, got a quick drink, and fell asleep shortly afterwards.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Lisanna? Hey, wake up!"

The dragonelle blinked her eyes open tiredly and glanced around, but saw nothing.

"Uh…down here."

She looked down to see a young human with a head of spiky pink hair, goggles, and dark eyes looking back at her. Lisanna was surprised, "Dragion, what are you doing here? You never come to the hall…"

"I-I need help." Dragion stammered, looking away from her nervously, "I uh, well…"

Lisanna almost hummed with amusement. Humans could be so weird sometimes, and Dragion was one of those who got nervous for seemingly no reason at all. She tried to hide the fact that she found this funny though, "Go ahead and tell me. I'll help if I can."

Dragion glanced around, as if to make sure no one else was there, then muttered, "It's Lucy…she's got writer's block or something, and it's making her really upset…What should I do to make her feel better?"

The question surprised her. Lisanna tilted her head, "Wouldn't it be better to ask Levy? She knows Lucy better than I do."

"Yeah, but Levy keeps making fun of me." Dragion complained, "She keeps saying that I've got a crush on her, or something."

Well, in her defense, she's not far off, Lisanna thought, then shrugged, "Well, I suppose you can try and take her somewhere interesting. Take whatever's got her bothered off her mind. That should help her, I think."

Dragion offered a grateful look, "Thanks! I'll see what I can do for her. Oh, can this be a secret between us? I don't want Levy to make fun of me again."

Lisanna laughed, "Alright, my lips are sealed." She thought about her own problem and stopped the teenage human before he left, "Hey, could you do me a favor?"

The boy looked back at her and shrugged, "Sure, what's up?"

"Have you ever had a problem telling someone something important?" she asked.

Dragion scratched the back of his head, "W-well…yeah, I still have that problem, actually…"

"How would you tell them?" Lisanna pressed.

"I-I'm not really sure." he stammered, "I, uh, I've never gotten around to saying anything…Why ask me?"

Lisanna frowned, "I couldn't tell one of my friends something important yesterday…and to be honest, I still can't bring myself to say anything about what happened the other day…"

Dragion watched her with concern, "Well, what happened?"

She opened her mouth, but faltered again, making her hiss in frustration. Dragion jumped at her sudden upset, flinching when her tail slapped the ground. Lisanna wanted to growl, "Rats! What is wrong with me?! I just can't say anything!"

Abruptly, she got up and stormed past the human boy, making him back up fast to avoid getting in her way. Lisanna grumbled to herself, "I'm gonna go back there and give him a piece of my mind! Maybe that'll make it easier!"

Dragion tilted his head in confusion, "Who? Lisanna, are you okay?"

The dragonelle promptly ignored him and almost ran to the hall entrance, leaping out of the cliffside to fly off south towards her secret forest again.

Blast that drake! He's messing with my head!

/

Dragion stared after the retreating figure of Lisanna as she flew off over the lake to reach the forests. He heard footsteps behind him and glanced back to see Erza pad up.

The Blade Dragonelle looked confused, "What's wrong with Lisanna?"

"I don't know." he admitted, "We were talking, then she just freaked out and got all mad. I've never seen her do that before. Actually, I don't think I've ever seen her get mad at all."

"Neither have I." Erza said slowly, "Well, let's leave her be for a little while. Maybe whatever has her so worked up will blow over with some time alone. Don't tell anyone else, okay?"

Dragion nodded, then made for the stairs by the cave mouth that would lead down to the city. Erza narrowed her eyes as Lisanna's disappearing figure became almost too small to see. She wasn't behaving normally when she came back, and now this…

"Was that Lisanna?"

Erza said nothing as Mira came up beside her with a frown, "She didn't even say goodbye. Is she upset?"

"Maybe." Erza muttered, "Give her time. I'm sure whatever it is won't bother her for long. She'll be back soon."

"If you say so…" Mira sighed, then turned away, "I was going to tell her that Laxus wanted me to go hunting tomorrow. I thought she might want to come."

Erza snorted, "I seriously doubt Lisanna would want to go anywhere with Laxus. How you put up with him is a mystery even to me."

Mira flicked her friend with the tip of her tail, "Oh, come on, Erza! Laxus isn't so bad once you get to know him! I mean it. Hey, do you want to go?"

"And I doubt Laxus had a third party in mind when he made that offer." Erza reminded her, to which Mira ruffled her wings and headed back to her cave, probably to hide any embarrassment.

Erza rolled her eyes and hummed with amusement, "Honestly…drakes can make things so complicated…"

/

Lisanna flew straight back to her waterfall cave and burst through the spray with a growl. Not to her surprise, Natsu was asleep when she entered, but he opened one eye when she landed.

He offered a smirk, "Hey, there. Where's the rest of the Thunder? I thought you were going to destroy me…"

"That's not funny." she growled, "What the heck did you do to me?"

Natsu blinked in confusion, "Do?"

"I can't tell anyone about the other day!" Lisanna hissed, "I tried, but I couldn't tell them that you came here a few days ago! So what did you do?!"

"Whoa, whoa, calm down." Natsu muttered, "I didn't do anything. I swear, I have nothing to do with..whatever problem you've got. What do you mean you can't say anything?"

Lisanna looked him dead in the eye, daring him to lie to her, "I tried telling my friend about you, but I couldn't get the words out of my mouth. When I tried again after sleeping, I still couldn't say it."

Natsu stared at her, "Seriously? Bummer, and I was all fired up for a fight, too…"

WHACK!

He recoiled as she slapped him across the face with her tail. Natsu snarled, "What the heck is your problem!?"

"What's yours?!" she shot back, "You shouldn't even be here! Can't you just go away and not come back?! You're messing with my head, and now I can't even talk about you!"

"Firstly, I have nothing to do with your little speech problems." Natsu started, "And second, am I really that bad company? I was even being nice and waited here for you to come back with your Thunder!"

Lisanna lashed her tail, "It's not a matter of being nice or not! You just shouldn't be here, okay?!"

"So, you admit I'm not all bad." he crowed.

She hesitated, then snarled, "Ugh, you…you…!"

"You what?" he asked.

"Will you just SHUT UP?!" Lisanna screeched.

Natsu went dead silent and stared at her.

Lisanna was clearly upset, her scales bristling and her fangs bared while she growled with frustration, "You're doing something weird to me, and I don't understand what it is! I never got mad like this, and I was never so snappy until I met you! I don't get what's happening to me, but I certainly don't like it!"

He frowned at that. Natsu visibly deflated, his tail drooping slightly while he looked away from her, "Sorry…I didn't think…I didn't know you'd be so upset about me being here…" He shuffled his wings and sighed, "Well…I guess I'll just go…I don't want to be a bother to you…"

Natsu trudged towards the waterfall, looking more than a little unhappy to Lisanna. She'd thought that telling him off would solve the problem, but now she felt worse than ever. She remained in place until she heard him fly out of the cave, then stood still for another minute.

…Oh, I'm REALLY going to regret this!

Lisanna turned and flew out through the cave, scanning the skies until she caught a glimpse of red and bolted after it. It took her a few minutes before the Flame Drake realized he was being followed and stopped to wait for her.

Natsu gave her a look that wasn't quite a frown, but not mean enough to be a glare, "What?"

"I'm sorry." she blurted out.

That caught him by surprise, "You're what?"

"I'm sorry I snapped at you, okay?" Lisanna managed not to hiss at him, but sighed, "Look, I'm…I'm confused and frustrated. Whatever's keeping me from talking about you is freaking me out. This has never happened to me before…"

Natsu judged her sincerity for a bit, then nodded, "Apology accepted…so..see you around."

He turned in midair to fly off again, but suddenly Lisanna swiped his tail with her claws. Natsu whipped back around with a snarl, "What is it now?!"

"Stay."

Now he was more than a little confused, "What?!"

Lisanna looked away, "Uh…You can stay in the waterfall cave, okay? Just for a little while."

Natsu stared at her, "Are you serious? Geez, you're weird…"

"I am not!" she protested.

"Reality check: You kicked out an enemy, so that was reasonable." he deduced, "Now you want your enemy back in the same cave you stay at when you go hunting."

"So?" she muttered.

"What if I change my mind and decide to kill you instead?" he growled threateningly.

Lisanna glared at him, "I don't think you will."

Natsu bared his fangs, "Guess wrong, and you're dead."

"I'd like to see you try." she hissed.

He looked her dead in the eye and breathed out a low growl, "Is that a challenge?"

Lisanna didn't flinch, and even growled back, "How about you come find out?"

The two dragons hovered in midair for a few moments, briefly assessing the seriousness of the other. They both hissed, their jaws slightly open and baring sharp fangs.

Lisanna struck first. She flapped up twice, rising fast with her lighter frame, then lunged to try and get at Natsu's throat. The Flame Drake twisted and dodged her snapping jaws, then slashed with his talons. She too, dodged effortlessly, retreating a few meters to try a different approach.

Natsu lowered his head and lunged with surprising speed, ramming the dragonelle's stomach with his horns. Lisanna coughed and staggered in midair, but took the chance to strike back and grip his neck with her claws. He growled and shook her off easily, using his greater size and strength to overwhelm the dragonelle.

When she retreated further, he offered a fanged grin, "Is that all you've got?"

"Don't underestimate me, Natsu!" Lisanna shouted, taking in a deep breath, then unleashing a powerful roar that smote the Flame Drake with a shockwave.

Natsu was actually forced back quite a ways. He shook his head in surprise to clear the ringing in his ears. Was that a breath attack?

"I'm a Tigress Dragon." Lisanna brought her head up proudly, "So my roar is way stronger than most other dragon's. That's what my breath attack is. A super powerful roar."

"And it packs a wallop." Natsu muttered, but grinned wider. He was starting to enjoy this.

Lisanna flew at him with another roar, "You're gonna lose!"

"Don't bet on it." he hissed, sucking in a deep breath, then opening his jaws to-

Lisanna froze as a huge blaze of fire erupted out of his jaws and just barely missed her wingtip, but the incredible heat stunned her. The inferno went far past her, nearly two hundred meters before the flames dissipated.

She was unable to move, her eyes wide with shock. For a moment, Lisanna almost forgot how to breathe.

Natsu had missed on purpose.

He was staring at her with a confident expression, apparently quite satisfied with the look on her face. Then he murmured, "Get it now? If I go back to that cave, then you'll be at my mercy. Can you deal with that?"

Lisanna gulped. Now she really knew how far apart they were in terms of power. Natsu was by far her superior. But even so…

"…I..I'm not afraid of you." she whispered.

Natsu's eyes narrowed, "I'm not sure that's a good thing."

"Neither am I, but…" Lisanna swallowed, "I..I think I can trust you…After all..you could've killed me just now…but you didn't…" She looked back up at him, "I think maybe you should stay in the waterfall cave until I figure out what's wrong with me. I mean, this problem started with you, but I don't think it'll end if you go away."

"…" he appraised her for a while, probably still uncertain about her proposition.

"…I won't tell anyone." she added.

I must be crazy…

Natsu stared at her, "You'll be betraying your Thunder by letting me stay."

Lisanna shook her head, "I'm not going to help you. I'll watch you and make sure you don't get into any trouble. Like that village you destroyed a few days ago. At least if you stay here, you can't go destroying more of our territory."

Natsu kept staring at her, confused by her behavior, but…

He flew past her in the direction they'd come from, throwing a backwards glance her way, "Well, come on. I'm a little thirsty after all that fun."

Lisanna said nothing as she followed him, but it felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She shook her head in bewilderment.

I won't let this go on for long…Just for a little while…that can't be such a bad thing...


	13. Not So Bad

**Okay, so the pairing has been decided, and I will tell you this much: I'm turning this into a NaLi/NaLu mixture so everyone's happy! If you want to see how I pull it off, then you'll have to keep reading. I have not decided on any other pairings. If there are any in particular that you want to see, then please leave your comments in the reviews.**

 **As always, thanks for reading!  
**

Chapter 13: Not So Bad

Natsu opened one eye the next morning to see Lisanna trying to sneak out unnoticed. He wasn't sure whether to be amused or annoyed. The dragonelle had hardly said a word to him since she convinced him to stay, and now she wasn't even going to tell him where she was going?

"Lisanna, stop."

The dragonelle stopped dead in her tracks and looked back with a guilty look.

"Yeah, you know I caught you." he growled, "Where are you going?"

"Home. Why?" she asked.

Natsu's tail twitched, "And you weren't going to tell me this…why?"

Lisanna blinked, "I didn't think you'd care."

"Didn't think I'd-of course I'd care!" he exclaimed, "Wouldn't you freak out if one of your friends suddenly disappeared in the morning? I'd have searched the whole territory trying to find you!"

Lisanna stared at him, "Really? Even though I'm your enemy?"

Natsu nodded, "You're letting me stay here. I can't just not return the favor. Besides…" His gaze became unwavering, "Didn't I just say you were my friend?"

She seemed to comprehend that, then looked away. Natsu frowned, "What's wrong?"

"I shouldn't be your friend." she said bitterly, "I shouldn't even be doing this. I don't know why I'm doing this, or why I can't even bring myself to tell the rest of my Thunder about you. And I don't want either of us to get attached to this. It won't help things. We're enemies, and that's it. This is just a…a neutral zone, okay?"

Natsu stared at her, "Is that really how you see this?"

Lisanna didn't answer him and just flew out of the cave. The Flame Drake watched her go, then lay his head down with a sigh.

Why does she make this so complicated?

/\/\/\/\/\

Lisanna sighed for the umpteenth time that morning as she basked in the morning sunlight. It'd been near a week since she'd left Natsu in the waterfall cave and returned home, but now she was getting restless. She couldn't help but wonder if he really stayed in the cavern like she had told him, or if he was off raiding again.

Levy, sitting beside her, glanced with a scaled eyebrow raised, "What's wrong with you?"

"Hm?" she managed, then shook her head, "Oh, nothing…"

"…Are you okay?" Levy asked pointedly.

Lisanna looked at her oddly, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well…" the smaller dragonelle shuffled her wings and tilted her head, "You just…you seem different. Ever since last week, you've been kind of…I don't know, out of it. What's bothering you?"

"It's nothing important." Lisanna assured her, "I just haven't been sleeping that well…"

Levy's eyes narrowed, but there was a curious glint in them, "You look a lot like Mira."

The dragonelle frowned, "Well, she IS my sister, so-"

"Not like that." Levy interrupted, "You've just got the same expression."

"What expression?" Lisanna asked.

Levy glanced around to make sure no one else was paying attention and whispered, "You look moony. Like Mira when she's talking about Laxus."

Lisanna's scales almost bristled. Almost.

She knew who was on her mind, but there was no way she was moony over him.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Lisanna lied. Moony?! As if! But even as the words went through her head, a retaliating image of Natsu saying he thought of her as a friend smothered it.

No. I won't get attached. I absolutely will NOT get attached to him, she swore to herself.

"You're definitely thinking about someone." Levy almost giggled, "Who? Come on, you know I won't say anything."

The dragonelle wanted to growl, but she held her displeasure back, "I'm not mooning over anyone. You must be imagining things."

"You are!" Levy gasped, "Or else you wouldn't be so defensive. It's not like you at all, Lisanna. Ask Lucy, and I'll bet she'll tell you the same thing."

"I'm not going to ask Lucy about something that doesn't even exist!" Lisanna snapped, "For the last time, I'm not mooning over anyone, okay?"

Levy smiled slyly and Lisanna knew she'd get no peace. Especially when her sister walked over. Mira came up with a curious look on her face, "What's this I hear about my sister?"

Lisanna rolled her eyes and stood up, then stalked away. Levy called after her, "When you're feeling more cooperative, tell me who it is!"

Now that's something I'm NEVER going to do, she thought, then walked

Her stomach growled. She was getting hungry, but Lisanna wasn't interested in any of the food the humans brought up. With a last moment of consideration, she decided to fly back to the waterfall cave, to see if Natsu was still there.

As she walked past her friends again, Lisanna called to her sister, "Mira! I'm going hunting! I'll be back in a few days, okay?"

Mira blinked and nodded, "Okay! Good luck!"

Levy stared as Lisanna flew off south again, "She's been hunting a lot lately."

"It's being cooped up like this." Mira explained, "I haven't been able to go to my favorite hunting spots because those dragons keep raiding around there. Lisanna's lucky that she's got her own secret place that they haven't discovered yet."

"I guess you're right." Levy murmured, then got up and stretched, "Okay! I'm going to see if Lucy made any progress with her story! Dragion took her fishing the other day, can you believe it? Fishing!"

Mira hummed with laughter, "If Dragion came up with it, I can believe it. Was that an attempt to cure her writer's block?"

Levy nodded, "Something like that. Anyways, see you later, Mira!"

Mira watched her go, then turned her gaze back to the disappearing figure of her sister on the horizon. She frowned a little.

What HAS gotten into you, Lisanna?

/\/\/\/\/\

When she got to the waterfall cave, Lisanna froze.

Natsu wasn't there.

She searched the whole cave, but there was no sign of the Flame Drake. And from the scents, it seemed as though he hadn't been there for quite a while.

He didn't leave to go raiding, did he? He said he would stay!

Lisanna was starting to freak out, and she wasn't entirely sure why it mattered so much, but the fact that Natsu wasn't there made her worried. His scent was old- he could easily be quite a ways away, possibly raiding a human village again.

She was about to fly out of the cave and go after any scent trail she could find, but then Lisanna heard wingbeats. A few seconds later, Natsu burst through the waterfall and shook himself dry as he padded into the cave.

He came back!

Natsu saw her and blinked with surprise. It was only then that Lisanna realized he had a plump deer clamped in his jaws. He had just gone hunting.

Stupid! Of course he has to eat! I was worried over nothing!

Lisanna visibly relaxed, "There you are. I thought maybe you'd left to go raiding."

Natsu dropped the deer and shook himself, "Tempting idea, but no. The nearest village is that one I razed a couple weeks ago. There's nothing there for me to bother with." He nosed the deer in her direction, "Want something to eat?"

She shook her head, "No, that's okay. I'm not hungry."

As if on cue, her belly rumbled in protest.

Natsu smirked, "Your stomach says otherwise."

"I can go catch my own food." Lisanna offered, "That was your catch. You can-"

"I already ate a few." Natsu interrupted, "I just brought this one back in case I got hungry later."

She frowned, "But-"

"Lisanna." he sighed, "Eat. It's your prey, anyway. It was on your territory."

Lisanna shuffled her wings and muttered, "Thanks…"

Natsu flicked his tail in acknowledgement and trudged to the back of the cave, where he settled down and started cleaning his talons. Lisanna picked up the deer and found a spot a little ways away from him.

Before she started eating, Lisanna spoke to Natsu without glancing at him, "Nice catch." She paused for a moment, then added easily, "For a hot head."

Natsu looked at her sharply, "What did you call me?"

"Hot head." Lisanna replied with a straight face.

His tail tip twitched briefly. Lisanna felt tension in her body, but it wasn't a bad feeling. She almost felt…excited.

Natsu lunged for her, growling with amusement, but Lisanna dodged and launched out of the waterfall cave, out into open air. The Flame Drake flew after her, just meters away as she flew skyward.

"Just wait until I get my claws on you!" Natsu threatened, but his voice was laughing.

"You'll never catch me!" Lisanna yelped as he snapped at the tip of her tail, but missed.

They flew around in loops as the sun set, dousing the two dragons in soft, golden light. Lisanna flew as fast as she could, trying to evade Natsu with flips, spins, and an array of aerial acrobatics, but he matched every move she made and never fell more than a few feet behind.

When the sky became dark and stars lit up the night, Lisanna finally retreated back to the waterfall cave and landed, then flopped to the ground, panting. "I can't fly anymore!" she gasped.

Natsu collapsed beside her on his side, a tired grin on his face.

"Hot head!" she whispered.

Natsu suddenly flipped himself over and sank his teeth softly into her neck, pinning her to the ground. "Who's a hot head?" he purred.

"No one!" she wailed.

Natsu let her go and sat up, catching his breath. Lisanna pushed herself to sit as well, but slipped on a wet patch of ground. She squeaked as her unbalanced footing made her fall against the Flame Drake.

"Hey!" he protested as her sudden slip caught him off guard and made him fall over, resulting in Lisanna falling onto his scaled chest.

"Oof!" he wheezed.

"Sorry!" she gasped, scrabbling until she got up.

Natsu rolled to his feet and ruffled his wings with a purr of amusement, "Maybe I'm a hot head, but you're pretty clumsy."

Lisanna felt hot with embarrassment, "I'm so sorry, I forgot how slick the ground here gets. Whenever I stay here, I'm usually asleep by now. The water doesn't evaporate at night with no sunlight."

"No harm done." Natsu said with a grin, then gave her a curious look, "You're in a better mood now than you were last week. Did something happen?"

"Not really." Lisanna yawned, "My friends were just nagging at me because they thought that I was mooning over a drake."

Natsu's tail twitched and he frowned, "Were you?"

"No! Not at all!" she said quickly, then sighed, "They always assume stuff like that. I don't know why they bother, since it won't ever happen."

Now he looked confused, "What won't happen?"

Lisanna glanced at the ground, looking crestfallen, "I won't ever have a mate."

"What?!" Natsu gaped at her.

"It's one of the Thunder's rules." she said bitterly, "All the Thunders have a dominant male and female, the leaders of the group. They're the only ones able to have any young. The rest of us can't, because the leaders worry that our instincts might cause us to kill their offspring."

Natsu looked stunned and disbelieving, "Are you serious? But that's stupid!"

"I agree." she mumbled, "But I love my Thunder. Fairy Tail gave my siblings and I a home when we really needed one. They don't want to leave, and I don't want to be apart from them. But if I stay, I won't ever have a mate."

"That doesn't seem fair." Natsu growled with a lash of his tail, "What right do the leaders have to keep the other dragons from having a mate? You could easily get a mate if they weren't holding you back!"

Lisanna stared at him, "You think so?"

"Yes!" he exclaimed.

She dropped her gaze to the ground. For some reason, the compliment made her feel very self-conscious.

When Natsu nudged the deer her way, Lisanna blinked. She had completely forgotten that she was hungry. But now she hesitated, "Um…do you want to share?"

Natsu eyed the deer, "Fat as it is, I don't think there'll be much for the two of us."

"It doesn't matter." she said quickly, "We can hunt again tomorrow morning."

He shrugged, "If you're sure."

The dragons crouched beside each other and took turns biting into the deer, though six bites later, there was nothing left. It was enough though, because Lisanna's belly was no longer growling at her.

Natsu settled down and sighed, "That was great."

Lisanna was keenly aware that the Flame Drake's side was brushing hers, but she didn't snap at him.

"Are you cold?" Natsu asked.

She blinked, then realized she was shivering. Lisanna hesitated, not wanting to look weak in front of the Flame Drake, "W-well, I-"

"You know, you can stay like this if you want." he offered, "My scales are warmer than most other dragons."

Lisanna stared at him, "I'm not sure that's a good idea…"

"Oh, come on, it's just to warm up!" Natsu sighed, "Don't be so uptight. If you still consider me your enemy, then just call it payment, okay? I owe you for letting me stay here."

She was still hesitating, so Natsu took matters into his own hands. One of his wings unfurled and covered her back. Lisanna was about to protest when she realized that she had stopped shivering with his wing blanketing her.

"Better?" he asked.

Lisanna gave in and lay her head down, "It's okay…"

Natsu set his head down next to hers and closed his eyes.

She frowned at that. He's too close.

But he was warm, and even though she knew that this would definitely be considered a betrayal to her Thunder in more ways than one, Lisanna couldn't remember feeling so safe.

His words echoed in her head. You could easily get a mate!

Just thinking about it made her feel self-conscious again. Lisanna closed her eyes and did her best not to think of it. She didn't want her thoughts to ruin the light mood after their games. Her view on Natsu was starting to change.

Maybe he's not so bad.


	14. Capture

Chapter 14: Capture

For a month, Lisanna came to the waterfall cave every so often to visit Natsu. Most of the time, they just hunted and talked, chatting about whatever happened to be on their minds at the time. Lisanna told Natsu about her friends in Fairy Tail, and he, in turn, told her about Wendy and Gajeel.

"Wendy's only just gotten her wings and breath attack, but she's pretty nice. Gajeel's a pain in the tail, though." Natsu rolled his eyes, "That scrap metal jerk annoys me to no end. He thinks he's better than me!"

Lisanna hummed with laughter, "I'm sure he'd say the same thing. Drakes are always so competitive. Always trying to prove they're better than all the others!"

Natsu snorted, "I'm definitely better than Gajeel. What about the drakes in your Thunder? Are they competitive too?"

"Well, Freed and Bixlow aren't bad." she said, "Probably because they look up to Laxus so much. Now he's competitive, but he doesn't fight much because most opponents aren't good enough for him. Or so he says. I think he's just lazy sometimes. But I won't say that, because my sister apparently moons over him."

Natsu tilted his head, "I thought only the leader could have a mate. Makarov is the leader, so-"

"Laxus is his grandson." Lisanna explained, "Makarov's son was excommunicated a while back, so Laxus is technically his heir. He could take a mate when Makarov steps down, and since Mira likes him anyway, no one says anything against it. Not that Laxus deserves her, not with his personality."

"You don't like him, huh?" the Flame Drake asked.

Lisanna scratched her claws on the floor of the cave and almost growled, "That Lightning Drake thinks that just because he's powerful, that he's the best dragon in the world. Huh! As if! He's arrogant, annoying, boastful, and selfish! I don't know what my sister sees in him!"

Natsu's tail twitched with amusement at her indignation, "Well, I can see why you don't like him, but was he always like that?"

Lisanna stared at him, "Well…I mean, when we were younger, he wasn't so bad, I guess. But just after I got my wings, he turned into a complete jerk."

"Well, that explains why your sister likes him." Natsu clenched his jaws as he stifled a yawn.

"What do you mean?" Lisanna asked.

Natsu grinned, "Your sister- Mira, right?- probably thinks that after a while, he'll go back to being the way he was before he turned into a complete jerk. Did she like him before he became selfish?"

She blinked, "Well…yes."

"Then there you have it." Natsu said dismissively and stretched, "Mira probably sees the Laxus from before, and not the lightning bastard you see now. You can hardly blame her, since he's her only shot at finding a mate."

Lisanna looked away, but muttered, "I suppose you're right…but I still don't like him."

"Oh, you don't have to like him." Natsu remarked, "I don't mind if you dislike him more than anything in the world. That might actually be better than liking him."

Now her mouth curled in a faint smile. She spoke casually, "You would like that, wouldn't you?"

Natsu smirked, "Yes, I would."

To which Lisanna laughed.

/\/\/\/\/\

Lisanna left for home again later that day, leaving Natsu to relax in the waterfall cave. Unfortunately for him, he didn't relax for very long.

After lying down for about five minutes, a growl woke him up, "Salamander! Get up!"

Natsu's head snapped up immediately in alarm, but he settled down when he saw a familiar figure looming over him. He yawned and muttered, "Gajeel. What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" Gajeel thundered, "What are you doing here?! This is where you've been all this time?! I've been looking for you for nearly a week!"

"Why?" Natsu asked.

Gajeel glared at him, "Wendy got caught by the Dragon Slavers."

"She what?!" he roared.

"Get the picture now?!" Gajeel bellowed.

Natsu got to his feet immediately, "Where are they?!"

"They're almost out of the territory." he growled, "I'd have taken them down myself, but this caravan has a dragon guarding it, and it's damn strong."

"Why would a dragon be guarding Dragon Slavers?" Natsu asked, disbelief in his voice.

Gajeel shrugged, "I think it might be one that was captured young and trained. They must be getting desperate since the three of us keep raiding their caravans. That dragon wasn't messing around."

Natsu stalked past him towards the exit, "Then let's move. I dare any dragon to try and take one of my comrades!"

The two drakes flew out of the cave and soared towards the direction where Wendy was being taken.

Gajeel snorted after a few minutes, "So, how's your little romantic getaway going?"

Natsu growled, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't you?" Gajeel grunted, "So, that pretty little dragonelle I saw leave a little bit ago had no idea you were sleeping in the same cave? Salamander, you're a terrible liar."

Natsu flashed him a glare, "So what?"

"You've chosen a terrible time to get hooked on a dragonelle, you stupid idiot." Gajeel snarled, "Especially one of the enemy. What makes you think she isn't telling her little friends in Fairy Tail all about you, huh?"

"Lisanna wouldn't do that." Natsu argued.

"Really?" Gajeel muttered, "And you've known this dragonelle for what, just over a month? Jeez, Salamander, I thought you were a bit smarter than that! You just went for the first set of angelic wings you saw, didn't you? No sense of caution at all."

"You don't know anything about her!" Natsu shot back, "She doesn't exactly like how the Thunder works, you know."

Gajeel raised a scaly eyebrow, "Oh, so she's your spy instead?"

"Just drop it, okay?! If you've got enough breath to complain, then fly faster!" Natsu hissed and forced himself to ignore the Iron Drake. He sped up and flew ahead.

Gajeel muttered under his breath, "Punk ass flame!" He then accelerated and flew after the Salamander.

/

Lisanna was surprised when she met up with her friends halfway home.

Erza was at the head, with Gray and the Thunder God Tribe close behind her. Lisanna slowed down to a stop and hovered in midair, staring with confusion, "Erza, what are you doing here?"

The Blade Dragonelle growled, "Levy was kidnapped outside of the city by a strange group of people. We think they're Dragon Slavers."

Lisanna gasped, "What?! But they've never come this deep into the territory! What happened?!"

"Levy took Lucy and Dragion to a river a few miles away from Magnolia." Freed answered, "They didn't come home after dark, so we went to see what happened in the morning. It looked like they were ambushed, and it's possible they had a dragon helping them with the capture."

"Then Lucy and Dragion are missing too?" Lisanna whispered. A dragon helped them? It couldn't be Natsu, he's been at the cave for too long…one of his comrades then? They could't be helping the Dragon Slavers, could they?!

"Yes." Erza confirmed, "The mayor's worried out of his mind. If we don't track them down and bring them back, he might ask the King of Fiore to go to war. This has gone on for too long already, but the Dragon Slavers are crossing the line at this point."

Lisanna swallowed hard, "Let me help you. Where did they go?"

"We've been tracking their scent trail." Bixlow grunted, "They're heading towards the border, and fast. I think they know we're on their tail."

Evergreen interrupted them, "Let's hurry. We don't have time to spare. If they get to the border, they can disappear into the mountains like smoke."

So the dragons flew on as fast as they could, soaring for the fading sun as if to stop if from setting.

/\/\/\/\/\

Natsu and Gajeel found the caravan later the next day.

They crouched over a cliffside and peered over cautiously to investigate the enemy. A large group of armed men marched around a pair of cages on carts, each with a dragonelle in them. One was Wendy, the other was a similarly small, darker blue dragonelle. With the second caged dragonelle, two humans were tied up and sitting in a corner. All of the captives looked frightened.

At the head, was a large, silver-blue dragonelle, but its body rippled and shimmered like water. If she wasn't part of the enemy, her appearance might've been beautiful.

Gajeel hissed, "Those bastards…I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they realize there are two angry drakes between them and the border."

"Oh, I don't think they'll have very long to think about it." Natsu growled, "Alright, here's the plan…"

/\/\/\/\/\

The caravan started going through a narrow canyon, which was its last hurdle to clear before they reached the border of Fiore. The Dragon Slavers were at ease now with home in sight.

It was much too early to celebrate.

As they entered the canyon, there was a rumbling sound, then an avalanche of boulders came crashing down in the middle of their path. The men shouted in alarm and backed up, while their dragon escort stared around in confusion, but the roar overhead caught everyone's attention.

Natsu bellowed his fury to the world and let loose a massive river of fire from his jaws. The flames swept down towards the Dragon Slavers, but it wasn't as easy as it seemed.

The dragonelle snarled and spat a huge stream of water from her mouth. The water collided with the fire and sizzled loudly, creating steam. For a moment, neither could see anything.

"Gee-hee!"

The men spun around as Gajeel landed at the rear of the group with a cackle, then proceeded to viciously attack the people surrounding the caged dragonelles. He roared with anger, "Return our comrade, you damned humans!"

The Water Dragonelle prepared to spring at him, but Natsu shot through the cloud of steam and snapped his jaws shut on her neck. She screeched in pain, scrabbling to get loose, but Natsu didn't let go until the men started throwing spears and shooting arrows.

He released the dragonelle, but to his shock, some of the weapons hit her instead of him. Even though she whimpered in pain, the men didn't seem to care and kept shooting at the Flame Drake.

Dark anger boiled within him. They will pay for what they've done to this poor dragon.

Natsu spat a fireball and incinerated the nearest group of men, but before he could decimate any more, the dragonelle hissed and leaped onto him, slashing and biting angrily. He snarled and lashed back at her, but the dragonelle held fast and didn't let him go.

Gajeel wasn't having much better luck than Natsu was. The men were all armored, so even though he hit most of them, it wasn't enough to kill them like it normally would. Even if the men were winded by his attacks, most of them got up after being knocked down. That said, the ground was already running red with the blood of fallen soldiers. But there was dragon's blood too.

One of the men stuck Gajeel with a spear in his arm, making the Iron Drake snarl before he crushed the man into a stain, "Damn, there's a lot of these insects!"

Natsu used his greater size and strength to ram his body against the canyon wall, stunning the dragonelle clinging onto him. He took the chance to give a mighty heave, then flung the Water Dragonelle from his back. She landed easily and skidded to a stop with a hiss.

He glared at her angrily, "Give up! You can't beat me."

The dragonelle ignored him and sprung again, but Natsu reared up and batted her aside with powerful claws. She crashed into a boulder and scrabbled to keep standing, then fell over clumsily.

Natsu put the dragonelle aside for the time being to lunge at the front group of men, spitting a fireball, then slashing at them furiously. He roared with menace in his voice, "Let the dragonelles go, and we'll let the rest of you live!"

One of the humans, who he assumed was either the leader or just a complete fool, shouted a retort, "You think we're afraid of you?! We fight dragons for a living! You're just another drake for us to put in a cage and send to the front lines!"

"That was the wrong answer." Natsu growled, then reared up on his hind legs. As he spat another fireball, he flapped his huge wings furiously and generated wind as powerful as a small typhoon. The flames spread rapidly and hit the men with a huge wave of fire.

Natsu got back on all fours and hissed over the crackling flames and dying screams, "We're not like any dragons you've met before, I promise you that."

The men were scrabbling to put out the fires on them, but it was doing nothing fast. Natsu watched them with eyes that held no sympathy and uttered with contempt, "Burn."

Just a few seconds later, however, a wave of water engulfed the men and put out the flames with a hiss of steam. Then the water collected to a single point and solidified to become the Water Dragonelle who had been winded just a moment earlier.

Natsu grinned with bared fangs, "Interesting. Just like Atlas Flame. Your body's made entirely of water, huh?"

The dragonelle's only response was to hiss at him angrily.

He narrowed his eyes and stood to his full height so he looked down on her, "Why are you protecting them? They're kidnapping your own kind, and hurting you. Why do you put up with it?"

She said nothing at first and kept glaring at him, so Natsu snapped, "Tell me why."

"Juvia…don't like..beating…" she hissed.

Natsu was taken aback. Not by her reason for helping, but the fact that the dragonelle's words were ragged and barely comprehendible, as though she rarely spoke. It was though her intelligence, will, and voice had been stolen from her and replaced with a more simple creature's.

Was he really talking to a dragon?

At the back of the group, Gajeel snarled as a group of men threw a net around his arm and tried to drag him down, but he yanked back with all his might and sent them flying away. He got down on all fours and roared at the other men, unleashing a breath attack of razor sharp iron blades.

A good number of them dropped instantly, but most survived because of their armor. There were still a significant amount of men and weapons between him and the two caged dragonelles. Gajeel tch'd, "Damn, these bastards don't die as easily as most humans."

Juvia lunged at Natsu with a screech. He reared his head back like a snake, preparing to finish her off. Natsu grimly decided it was probably better for the poor dragonelle to die rather than continue to be mistreated and forced to work for such terrible people.

I'll do it quickly and painlessly, he decided. Forgive me.

As Juvia got close, however, a blast of blue light got between them and created a spike of ice.

Natsu recoiled in alarm and whipped his head up.

Six dragons dove down at the caravan, headed by a dragonelle whose body seemed to consist of bladed feathers. Behind her was a dark colored drake with spines of ice running down his back and two other black drakes that had green spots and blue stripes respectively. At the rear was a dark green dragonelle with light brown feathers and…Lisanna!

The Salamander froze. These dragons are from Fairy Tail!

The new drakes locked onto him and Gajeel immediately. Ignoring the Dragon Slavers, the dark colored drake with ice spines dove down with a roar and crashed into him in a flurry of snapping teeth and slashing claws. The other two drakes lunged for Gajeel, making the Iron Drake roar in anger and retaliate.

"So, you're the bastard that's been raiding our territory for seven years!" the Ice Drake hissed.

Natsu snarled back, "And you're the idiot that got in the way of my battle! You're gonna pay for that!"

The drake snapped at him, but Natsu recoiled away, then reared up and slammed his front feet down on his enemy, crushing him to the ground. But the other drake simply curved his neck and sank his sharp fangs into Natsu's leg, then ripped back.

The pain was instantaneous and excruciating as Natsu felt the wound freeze shut with burning cold, but his only response was to hiss in pain and snap back.

Gajeel had the the black drake with blue stripes down under one foot, trying to keep him pinned while he wrestled with the other. The dark green dragonelle was attacking the humans from above with furious screeches, while Lisanna held back, eyes wide in bewilderment until-

"ENOUGH!"

Every living thing froze as the Blade Dragonelle roared. The sound was intimidating, and so was the dragonelle's furious glare, "Cease fighting, now! Freed, Bixlow, and Gray! Let those two drakes up this instant! Evergreen, pull away from the humans!"

The other dragons silently obeyed, for not even the Dragon Slavers were attacking now. Natsu let Gray go, but his wounded leg wouldn't take much weight. The Flame Drake gritted his teeth. Shit, that hurts…stupid frostbite.

The Blade Dragonelle glanced from him to Gajeel as the Iron Drake released Freed and Bixlow. She shook her head, "No more fighting. Enough blood has already been spilled here. There will be no more if I have anything to say about it."

Gajeel glared at her and hissed, "Really? Well if these bastards don't let our comrade go, we'll kill them, you, and any other fool who dares to get in our way."

The dragonelle eyed him coldly, "You are in enough trouble already. Your comrade is wounded, and you are outnumbered. Be smart and surrender now. And as for you…"

She glared down at the Dragon Slavers and spoke with lethal softness, "You will release the dragonelles and humans you have taken captive. That, or we can slay every last one of you, and then take them back."

One of the men stepped forward, the one Natsu had recognized earlier as the leader. He stared up at the Blade Dragonelle with narrowed eyes, "If I release them, then I'll have you know that this won't be the last time we come here. This isn't over."

"So be it." the dragonelle said, "Then I'll have you know that any Dragon Slaver that crosses this border into Fiore and Fairy Tail territory will be dealt with by lethal force. You have crossed the line by kidnapping one of our own and two of our human friends."

The man snorted in contempt, but jerked his head at the soldiers. They silently freed the two caged dragonelles and cut their bounds, then did the same with the human captives.

While the two humans climbed onto the blue dragonelle from Fairy Tail and joined the other dragons flying overhead, where Lisanna called them, "Levy, are you guys okay?"

Levy nodded, "Yeah. Lucy's got a small cut on her arm, but that's it. Dragion isn't hurt and I'm fine as well."

Evergreen nodded, "Well, that's good."

Wendy flew over to Natsu with a whimper, "I'm sorry…I got caught before I even realized what was happening."

"It's fine." he muttered, "The important thing is that you're safe."

She sniffed his injury and frowned with worry, "That's deep…here, let me heal it-"

"You can tend to your wound when we get to the Thunder Hall." the Blade Dragonelle interrupted, "Our healer will see to it."

Natsu glared up at her, "And just what makes you think we're going with you?"

Her eyes flashed dangerously, "You will come with us, or I'll make it so that you don't have a choice.

Natsu held her angry stare for a few moments, then looked away.

The dragonelle nodded in satisfaction. She then turned to Juvia, who was looking around at all the other dragons with uncertainty.

"Greetings." the Blade Dragonelle said as she dipped her head, "My name is Erza. And who are you?"

The Water Dragonelle's tail twitched, "Name…Juvia."

Erza's eyes narrowed. Like Natsu, she realized how badly this dragonelle had been mistreated. Her voice became surprisingly gently, "Juvia, come with us. You can live with other dragons in safety and peace."

Juvia seemed to recognize that she was being friendly and hope flashed in her eyes, but the leader of the men shouted angrily, "She'll do no such thing. Juvia is one of our dragons. She's been trained to help capture targets and defeat enemies."

Erza stared at the man with contempt, "I do not care. It is her choice whether she wants to stay or not." She looked back at the Water Dragonelle, "Well, Juvia? Will you come with us?"

Juvia hesitated a moment longer, then slowly flew up to meet her. The man below yelled after her, "Jose will hear about this, Juvia! You know what happens to traitors!"

The Water Dragonelle froze and almost turned back, but then Gray got between her and the man with a hiss of anger, "You don't get to decide how dragons spend their lives! We aren't your pets or your playthings, so piss off!"

The man glowered at the Ice Drake, but held his tongue. Juvia, meanwhile, took shelter behind Gray, as if to hide herself from her former human masters.

Erza nodded, "Then you humans can go back across the border. We're heading back to the Thunder."

She flicked her tail, then the rest of the Fairy Tail dragons circled around Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy as they slowly got into the air. Erza gave Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy a warning look, "Try to escape and we'll rip you out of the sky. Is that clear?"

Natsu growled, "If you're trying to scare us, that's not a good way to do it. Harm either of my comrades, and the only one getting ripped out of the sky will be you."

Erza's eyes flashed with a strange light, something that might've been respect. She nodded and led the dragons away from the border towards the center of the territory.

Lisanna flew up to the side and glanced at Natsu, "How bad is that leg injury?"

Natsu was about to shoot her a look like she was crazy, but then realized that Lisanna was trying to make it seem as though she'd never met him and was only wondering if he would hold them back. He shrugged, "It's fine."

Gray sneered, "Tough guy, eh? If I had another second, I'd have frozen your leg until it shattered."

"Then please, try again and see how well it ends for you." Natsu snarled, "I'll turn you into a pile of ashes before you can blink those droopy eyes of yours."

The Ice Drake snorted with contempt and ignored him, flying ahead to Erza's side with Juvia tagging along behind him.

Wendy flashed Natsu a nervous look, "Wh-what's going to happen to us?"

"If they imprison us, I'd rather take execution." Gajeel hissed.

Natsu shot him a warning look because Wendy already looked scared, then sighed, "I don't know Wendy. We'll find out soon enough, though."


	15. Fairy Tail

**This chapter introduces some of the Fairy Tail dragons, and the next chapter will have Lucy's first meeting with Natsu!**

 **As always, please review and thanks for reading!**

Chapter 15: Fairy Tail

Landing in the Thunder Hall of Fairy Tail was…interesting.

Surrounded by their escort of enemy dragons, Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy looked about as comfortable as three hawks being brought into an eagle army's nest. Natsu was just doing his best to pretend his leg wasn't injured, but it didn't matter. They were no longer the top of the food chain.

The first thing that was apparent: They weren't welcome.

The dragons escorting them, aside from Erza, Lisanna, and Levy, were already flashing them angry looks. When they got to the Thunder, that only got worse. While the dragons awaiting them might not have exactly expected to see Erza's group fly in with four stowaways, (Even if Juvia wasn't even with them.) they clearly were not happy to see them.

Erza called to a violet dragonelle watching them and murmured, "Kinana, find Lucy's parents, tell them she's safe for me. I have to deal with them."

Kinana nodded and flew off towards the city below.

A big, gold drake with a lightning shaped scar over his right eye sat on a rock ledge above them. As the group walked in, he eyed the four newcomers with a sneer, "Well, what do we have here? Looks like Erza finally caught the little rats that have been sniffing around, eh? These are seriously what's been keeping us frightened and indoors for seven years? Now that's just pathetic. Especially the little blue runt down there. She's not even half my size!"

Wendy visibly deflated at his words until Natsu snarled up at him, "Well, I didn't see you try to fight us. If you're so great, then why didn't you do something about it?"

The drake snorted, "I can't be bothered to hunt pests."

"Hey, Gay." Natsu muttered to the Ice Drake.

The Ice Drake who flared up with a hiss, "It's GRAY, you stupid flame!"

"Whatever." Natsu grunted, "Tell that punk ass up there to shut his mouth, or I'll burn it shut for him."

The gold dragon above laughed mockingly, "I'd like to see you try, little runt."

"Enough of this." Erza interrupted, then looked up at the drake, "Laxus, we didn't bring them here to meet you. We brought them to meet Makarov."

"Why? We're gonna kill them anyway, why bother introducing them?" Laxus asked.

Wendy cringed and shrank down, but Gajeel glared up at the other drake with smoldering red eyes, "You think you're gonna kill us?"

Laxus shrugged, "Yeah. If you were weak enough to be captured, I've got no use for you. Why keep you around?"

"Erza, in ten seconds that bastard is going to have his throat torn out." Natsu hissed.

A white dragonelle who looked almost identical to Lisanna stiffened at that and snarled a threat, "Don't you dare even think about trying that."

Natsu glared back at her, "Then tell him to shut up. He's got no right trying to scare Wendy like that."

Apparently, it was only now that the Fairy Tail dragons seemed to realize that Wendy looked terrified. She was crouching low to the ground and shivering with fear.

Erza sighed, "Laxus, please keep quiet. Come on, you four. Makarov is in the back."

They left the gold drake behind and proceeded to the back of the Hall, which was surprisingly large. At the very back, curled up in sleep, was a giant dragon. Or maybe just a part of the mountain that looked like a dragon.

Mira went up and prodded the mass with her tail, "Makarov, Erza's back."

The mass shifted, then came apart to become a huge, gray and gold dragon with aged horns and spikes. He towered over the others, making the three raider dragons feel very small.

Gajeel muttered nervously, "This is Makarov? What the hell has this guy been eating?"

"How do they feed him?" Natsu wondered.

Wendy gulped, "He could crush us with a foot…"

Makarov looked down at them with a flicker of surprise, then glanced at Erza and rumbled, "What happened here?"

"We caught them attacking the Dragon Slaver caravan that kidnapped Levy, Lucy, and Dragion. Apparently, their comrade had been captured by them as well." Erza explained.

"There wasn't much bloodshed, I hope?" Makarov asked.

Natsu and Gajeel shuffled their feet like two naughty kids while Erza sighed, "Unfortunately, these two took many lives out of the Dragon Slaver ranks. They-"

"Now hold on, how is that a bad thing?" Gajeel interrupted, "Less Dragon Slavers means less of a problem and…uh…"

He was cut off at the hint of a glare from Makarov. The old dragon growled, "The loss of life is a terrible thing, be it from a friend or enemy. Carry on, Erza."

"Yes sir." she said, flashing a look at Gajeel to keep quiet, "We brought the battle to a halt, talked the Dragon Slavers into releasing the captives, and flew back here."

"I see…" Makarov murmured, then seemed to think for a few moments before he assessed the three raiding dragons with an intense look, "Well, you brats have caused us problems and troubles for a long time. What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"What do you intend to do with us?" Gajeel growled.

The old dragon's eyes narrowed, "Why do you ask?"

"Because, if you're going to kill us, then just get on with it." the Iron Drake hissed, "And if you're going to imprison us, I'd rather die now than turn into a pile of rusty iron. So what's the verdict?"

Makarov rumbled with amusement, "I will decide your punishment after I hear your story. You three might be young, and you might be brash, but you don't strike me as fools. Well, not brainless fools, anyway. Challenging all of us with just three of you was very foolish, but it seems you have quite a bit of courage to go with that."

"More like complete idiocy." Laxus drawled.

"Well?" Makarov ignored Laxus and raised a scaly eyebrow at the three dragons.

Natsu glanced to his comrades, then faced the old drake, "We wanted to take over the Thunder. We-"

"As if!" Gray interrupted with a roar.

Bixlow sneered, "Think you can take us down so easily?!"

"That isn't manly!" a huge, bestial drake snarled.

Erza shouted at them, "Gray, Bixlow, Elfman, be silent! Let him speak."

Natsu ignored the others and kept talking, "We wanted to take over because we needed the help of other dragons."

"You went about asking for help a funny way." Mira remarked.

"There wasn't really any choice." Natsu defended, "What we needed help with…I doubt you would have agreed if we just came up and asked."

"And what do these three great dragons possibly need from a weak Thunder like us?" Laxus asked mockingly.

Natsu flashed a smoldering glare at him and spat, "I need your help to kill Acnologia."

The Thunder Hall went dead silent.

The Flame Drake looked at the flash of unease in the other dragon's eyes with satisfaction, "See? I knew you would turn us down. That's why we tried to take over by force."

Makarov leaned down to look him in the eye, "That is a dangerous task, young dragon. Not one taken lightly, either."

Erza picked up from there, her voice dark with anger, "So, you thought that this reason could justify all the attacks you've made on villages? What about the people you killed? Were they just a way to get our attention? You would sacrifice human families so easily?"

"Easily?" Natsu snarled while his scales bristled, "My father was killed by Acnologia, but my mother was killed by humans. What makes you think I have any sympathy for human families? They stole away the only family I had left!"

Erza's eyes went wide. In fact most of the Thunder's dragons seemed appalled, except for a few. Lisanna, for one, dipped her head, having already heard Natsu's story.

Makarov eyed Gajeel and Wendy, "But these two weren't just following you."

"No." Gajeel broke in, "We agreed to do this together. Dragon Slavers captured me and Wendy. Natsu saved us and we escaped, then started the attacks on your territory after that. Wendy's father was killed by those humans, and her mother was wounded. Although, she might be dead, and we just don't know it. We haven't seen or heard from her in these last seven years."

"The idea was to take over, then stop the Dragon Slavers from hurting more dragons." Wendy said nervously, "Once we had enough dragons helping, we were going to go help Natsu fight Acnologia."

Laxus sneered, "Too afraid to fight it yourself?"

Natsu gave the golden drake a seething look, "Why don't you go kill it? A strong drake like you shouldn't have any trouble. If you're as great as you say."

Laxus's gaze flickered with dislike, "I won't sit here and let you tell me what to do, runt."

"Then please, sit somewhere else, and I'll tell you there." Natsu goaded.

The gold dragon got to his feet with a snarl, but Makarov rumbled, "Enough arguing! I understand that you three have run across hard times, and for that, I do have sympathy for you. But I will not risk the lives of my family to go on a hunt for a vicious dragon like Acnologia who could kill even me. And the Dragon Slavers are part of a much bigger game than you realize. What you ask is impossible."

Natsu looked away with a barely suppressed snarl, then glanced back up, "Well, thanks for hearing us out. We'll just leave and find another Thunder." He turned with a jerk of his head to Wendy and Gajeel, but Makarov wasn't done.

"Now, hold on there." the old dragon grunted, "I didn't say you could leave."

Natsu and Gajeel stopped dead and looked over their shoulders with angry looks.

"Excuse me?" the Flame Drake hissed.

"Try and make us stay, old drake." Gajeel spat, "It won't end well for you."

Wendy looked less sure that they could escape from the huge, gray dragon, who chuckled, "Fiery spirited, eh? I admit, little ones, you have piqued my interest. Even though it meant raiding a territory for seven years, you drove on to no end to fulfill the mission you had. That takes guts. And challenging the strongest Thunder in Fiore…you might have more nerve than any of the other dragons in the country. I'm impressed."

"What's your point?" Gajeel snapped.

"My point is that I've taken a liking to you three." Makarov said, "It would be a waste to kill or imprison three strong young dragons like yourselves. How about it? Why don't you join Fairy Tail?"

The three dragons froze, then Natsu and Gajeel bristled.

"Don't mess with us!" Gajeel roared.

Natsu breathed out embers in anger, "Is that supposed to be funny?!"

Makarov sighed, "Young drakes…they're like bucks in their first year. So aggressive, but it's the wise old stag that is the most cunning and successful. Think about it, would you? If you join, you wouldn't have to worry about being hunted by Dragon Slavers."

"Oh, so your little blue friend got caught on purpose, huh?" Gajeel snorted with a contemptuous flick of his tail at Levy. The little dragonelle puffed up angrily at his mocking gesture.

"That was unusual." Makarov admitted, "The Dragon Slavers have never come this far into our territory. But other than them, you wouldn't have to worry about humans attacking you. Other dragons would also be unlikely, though there's no telling what the border patrols from other Thunders might pull these days. You would have shelter, food, and most importantly, you could make friends if you join."

Natsu rolled his eyes, "What good'll that do?"

The old dragon snorted impatiently, "If you make friends among the dragons here and in other Thunders, some of them might come to your aid if you decide to complete the mission you had in mind."

It took a moment, but the three dragons relaxed, if just slightly. They shot wary glances at the other dragons.

Gajeel muttered, "Friends? In this bunch? I think age is getting to you, old drake. They hate our guts. Just look at them."

Most of the dragons didn't look particularly happy about having them as potential comrades. Laxus especially, looked angry, with his tail lashing slowly from side to side, as if he intended to pounce on them.

"Old grudges fade with time." Makarov dismissed, "You can fit in with some effort. Do your best to make them see you as friends rather than the enemies you appear to be now, and eventually, you will find friendship here."

The drakes still looked disbelieving, so surprisingly, Wendy took matters into her own hands. She dipped her head hastily to the old dragon, "We really appreciate that, sir! Is it really no problem if we join?"

"Is it a problem?" Laxus broke in before Makarov could speak, "These three punks raided our territory for seven years, and instead of punishing them, you're asking them to join us? We should kill them and use them as an example to any other enemy!"

Makarov gave Laxus a warning look, "You are not leader yet, Laxus. And when you are, I hope that you choose to think wisely before you take the life of a potential comrade. Not all ruffian dragons are born evil, most just deviate from the correct path. It's the duty of a leader to ensure that he guides them with peace and wisdom, not violence and anger. I will deal with their punishment without bloodshed."

Laxus lashed his tail one last time, then whipped around and stalked away.

Natsu stared after him, "As long as I don't have to be friends with him…I don't see why we can't stay for a bit."

"What the hell." Gajeel muttered, then grumbled a few unintelligible words.

Makarov nodded and offered a smile, "Then it's decided. State your names, please. Starting with the little dragonelle. Ladies first is good manners."

"Wendy."

"Natsu."

"It's Gajeel."

The old dragon nodded a few more times, then cleared his throat and rumbled, "Well, Wendy, Natsu, and Gajeel, welcome to Fairy Tail. The others will introduce themselves to you now-"

"Um, sir…" Wendy interrupted him nervously, "W-well, Natsu's got an injury on his leg…it needs treatment."

Gray stood up proudly, "You're welcome."

"Another word, you frozen lizard, and I'll melt you down to a puddle." Natsu snarled.

"Calm down, young fireball." Makarov grunted, "Of course, we'll have your wound treated before it can get worse. In which case, Wendy and Gajeel can stay and talk with their new comrades while one someone takes Natsu up to Porlysuca…"

After a few mutters from dragons declining the option, Lisanna spoke up, "I'll take him."

Elfman didn't look happy about that, nor did he sound particularly enthusiastic, "Oi, Lisanna! He could attack you on the way to Porlysuca's and we couldn't help!"

Lisanna rolled her eyes, "Relax, big brother. Even if he tried something- which I doubt he will- I'm pretty sure I can handle a three-legged dragon."

Elfman growled uneasily, but didn't argue further.

Makarov snorted, "Then that's decided. Lisanna will take Natsu to have his wound treated. The rest of you go about your usual business. I will think on their punishment after I speak to Erza and…what was your name?" He motioned towards Juvia, who was still hiding behind Gray and Erza.

Erza spoke up, "It's Juvia, sir. She's…well, I'll tell you personally."

The old drake grunted, then flicked his tail, "Then you're all dismissed."

So while Gajeel and Wendy glanced around for something to do and Erza, Gray, and Juvia moved closer to Makarov, Lisanna led Natsu up a path in the side of the Hall to a higher level.

"Come on." she said, "Let's get you to Porlysuca."

/

Porlysuca's den was at the highest cave in the Hall.

Natsu caught the scent of herbs before he even saw the large entrance to her hideout. Lisanna led him inside and called out, "Porlysuca! Can you help us?"

There was a loud snort, then a grumbling sound as something shifted in the back of the cavern and stalked over. An old, pink and red dragonelle padded to them. She was as large as Sunrose had been, and almost looked a little bit like her, but this dragonelle's temperament was much different.

She huffed at the sight, "What's this about? Who is this?"

Lisanna dipped her head with respect, "This is Natsu. He's one of the new dragons Makarov let into the Thunder. He's-"

"New dragons?" Porlysuca demanded, "More than one? Don't tell me he's taken in those three upstarts that have been raiding our territory! They've destroyed some of my best herbs, you know!"

"I know, Porlysuca." Lisanna said patiently, "But they're really not all bad, and Makarov seemed to think they at least deserved a chance, so can you please help? Natsu got an injury on his leg from Gray's frostbite."

Porlysuca snorted diffidently, but leaned down and sniffed Natsu's wound. She muttered lowly, "Well, at least it's not infected. You'd really be in trouble, then. Hmm…let's see, now…"

The old dragonelle shuffled to the back of her cave and started sniffing around at piles of herbs. She glanced to the waiting dragons and jerked her head, "There's a smaller cave close to mine. Go wait in there. I can't work efficiently with others watching my every move.

Lisanna nodded obediently and nudged the Flame Drake out of the cave and back onto the rocky path, then led him to another cavern just a few meters away from Porlysuca's.

Natsu limped inside and settled down with a sigh, "Finally…"

"You were lucky." Lisanna remarked, "If Makarov wasn't the leader here, you would have almost certainly been killed."

"Well, I wasn't." he muttered, shuffling his wings with unease, "Do you really think we'll be accepted here?"

Lisanna glanced back to make sure no one was watching, then gently pressed her nose to his jaw and murmured, "They'll get over it. Give them time…more than anything, I'm just glad you're okay."

Natsu seemed to lighten up with that and flicked her with his tail playfully, "Don't get all soft on me now that I'm in the same Thunder as you."

She hummed with laughter, "Only in your dreams, Natsu."

Porlysuca came in with a bowl of paste held delicately by her tail. She set it down, dipped the tip of her tail in, and spread the herbal mixture over Natsu's wound. He hissed at the stinging sensation, but the old healer ignored him for the most part.

She sniffed the wound again and nodded with satisfaction, "That'll do. Don't come back unless it gets worse. Although if it does, it'll be entirely your fault."

When the old dragon walked off with her herbs, Natsu's tail twitched and he hissed lowly to Lisanna, "Friendly, isn't she?"

The Tigress Dragonelle's mouth curled in a faint smile, "Porlysuca's always like that, but we know it's just the way she is. She's really nice at heart."

Natsu snorted, "I guess so." He rose to his feet and stalked out of the cave, then followed Lisanna back down to the main area of the Thunder Hall.

At least Porlysuca didn't try to attack me at first sight. Maybe this place'll be okay after all.


	16. Heartfilia

**Alright, these next chapters are going to focus on introducing new characters and concepts in the story, and next chapter especially is going to be VERY funny. Anyway, enjoy the mysteries I put into this chapter, and as always, please review and thanks for reading!**

Chapter 16: Heartfilia

After leaving Porlysuca's cave, Natsu and Lisanna were met with a civil war of sorts.

Gajeel was on one side of the hall, cleaning his claws and pretending he was the only dragon there.

The original members of Fairy Tail were on the other side, flashing him accusing looks of anger and distrust.

Caught between them, Wendy kept glancing back and forth uncertainly, like she couldn't decide if she wanted to stay with her old comrade, or try and make new friends.

Natsu took one look at the situation and muttered, "Oh, great."

"This might take a while, huh?" Lisanna sighed.

She padded over to Wendy with a sympathetic look on her face, "Would you like something to eat?"

Wendy took the chance with a relieved expression, "Yes, please!"

Mira also picked up on the idea. She still wasn't so sure about Natsu and Gajeel, but Wendy was cute and looked harmless enough, "I think I can get someone to bring us something. What would you like?"

While the three dragonelles chatted about dinner, Natsu stalked over to Gajeel and sat down a few meters away with a huff, "Geez, what did we get ourselves into?"

"Ya got me." Gajeel shrugged, "I don't know why I haven't already taken off."

"Because if you did, we'd drag you back."

The drakes looked up as Erza came over with a stern look, "Now that you're a part of Fairy Tail, I expect the both of you to obey orders. And don't cause any trouble in Magnolia, either."

"Magnolia?" Gajeel echoed.

Erza nodded, "Yes. It's the human city at the base of the mountain. We provide them with protection, and they supply us with food and a place to stay. Although we can go hunt whenever we want."

Natsu stared at her, "Let me get this straight- You live above a human city. And more importantly, the humans feed you."

"Yes." Erza confirmed with a sigh, "I can see you aren't thrilled about it, but you'd best get used to seeing humans around. A good number of them come into the Thunder Hall. They help keep things clean and to be honest, they're great fun at parties."

"What in the hell is are 'Parties'?" Gajeel asked, "It's sounds like some weird sort of dismemberment. Do the humans take each other apart, or something?"

The Blade Dragonelle looked appalled at first, then started laughing.

Natsu shifted and growled uneasily, "Hey, don't make fun of us!"

"I'm sorry!" Erza gasped as her sides heaved with laughter, "It's just…pft!"

Mira stared over at them, "Wait…do you three really have no idea what a party is?"

"No, we don't!" Natsu hissed, "And would someone PLEASE tell us what it is!"

Erza recovered from her bout of laughter and hummed, "It's a celebration. The humans get a lot of food together, and music and sometimes fireworks. It's a lot of fun…"

Gajeel raised a scaly eyebrow, "That must be a lot of food for all these dragons. How do they keep up with all of your appetites?"

Mira blinked, "We humanize, of course."

Wendy tilted her head, "What's…what'd you say?"

"Humanize..." Mira said slowly, then gaped, "Don't tell me…you don't know what that is either?!"

"NO!" Natsu and Gajeel snapped in irritation.

Erza shook her head in amazement, "You three…how are you still alive?"

Snickers could be heard all around the Thunder Hall, and Natsu had just about had enough of it. He got up with a snarl, "I don't care about your weird human words! Either tell us, or keep your mouth shut and quit making fun of us! I'm so sorry we don't beg humans for food!" he finished with a sneer.

Gray had been laughing, but now he got up with a hiss, "You wanna run that by me again, flame brain?!"

"You heard me!" Natsu growled back, "I'll bet you couldn't last a month out in the wild. You'd miss your humans feeding and petting you too much!"

"Come now, that's enough."

Before a brawl could break out, Makarov lumbered in with a grunt and a shake of his head, "Did I not say just a short while ago that we were going to get along? Don't fight now, especially with the Mayor coming in. He and the High Priestess were terribly worried about Lucy."

"I've been hearing that go around everywhere." Natsu said with a flick of his tail, "Who or what is Lucy?"

"I'm Lucy."

The Flame Drake blinked in surprise and looked around, but couldn't see anyone, "Excuse me? Where are you?"

"Look down."

So he did.

He found himself face to face with a teenage human girl. She had pale skin, blonde hair tied up in pigtails, and big, brown eyes. For some reason, she looked a little miffed, but whatever had bothered her was the least of her problems.

Natsu leaped to his feet and hissed like a surprised cat, baring his fangs in a fierce snarl. Gajeel as well, backed up quickly with a warning growl.

"Lucy" flinched back from the huge drakes and stammered, "Wh-what's wrong-Eek!"

Her stammer went to a panicked squeal as Natsu thrust his head forward and shoved her to the ground.

On the other side of the cave, Levy jumped up with a gasped, "Hey, don't hurt her!"

"You have a pest infestation." Natsu hissed, venom dripping from his voice, "Can I eat it?"

In fact, he leaned down to eat the woman anyways, regardless of what the other dragons thought.

"No!" Levy screeched and leaped at him. Her small body wasn't much of a force when compared to Natsu's much larger bulk, but she had enough power to make Natsu's jaws miss Lucy's head by mere inches.

Natsu shoved Levy back with a growl, "What the hell is your deal?!"

"What's my deal?!" Levy hissed, quite angry for once, "What's yours?! Lucy's my friend! She's our friend! She's not food!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" the Flame Drake snorted, "Humans can't be friends with dragons. It doesn't work!"

"Well, of course it doesn't!" Lucy shouted indignantly, "Nothing works when you're trying to eat me!"

Erza got between him, Lucy, and Levy with a frown, "Natsu, that's just how things are here. We don't eat humans."

"Then you're insane." he decided with a shake of his head.

Gajeel stared at them with disbelief, "For once, I have to agree with the flame brain. Humans have no reason to like dragons. Hell, I razed down human villages more for entertainment than for actual purpose before I got here."

Gasps echoed around the hall, finishing when Lucy muttered, "What's wrong with these dragons? I thought they were going to be friendly."

Levy sighed, "Well, I guess that after all the things bad humans have done to them, they must really distrust people."

"Understatement of the century." Gajeel snarled.

Natsu shot a final glare at Lucy, "Try anything, and I swear the last thing you see will be my open jaws. I won't even cook you. Human females taste better raw."

"You two disgust me." Lucy shot back.

"Good." they growled in unison.

"My, my, what a riot."

Heads turned towards the light, amused voice.

Makarov dipped his head as Kinana landed in the cavern with a blonde woman and man on her back, "Jude, Layla. Our dragons brought Lucy and Dragion back home."

The man, who wore a business suit, nodded gratefully, "Thank you, Makarov. Although…it seems we've got quite a handful on us now. You just brought these dragons in, didn't you?"

"Yes, sir." Makarov rumbled, "They're rough, but I think they'll loosen up eventually."

Natsu eyed the woman, who wore a dress and looked almost identical to Lucy, with immediate dislike, "And who are these…humans?"

The woman smiled at him, "I'm Layla Heartfilia. Lucy's mother. And who are you?"

Natsu huffed and turned away, "I don't have to tell a human anything."

Surprisingly, Layla laughed, "You've got quite a fiery spirit, haven't you child?"

The Flame Drake spun around with a barely suppressed snarl, "Who are you calling a child?!"

"Forgive me- I meant no offense." The blonde woman walked up with that kind smile, which Natsu was getting sicker and sicker of with every passing second, "I can tell that you're no older than Lucy. Seventeen, maybe eighteen years old, right?"

Natsu's eyes narrowed, "How would you know that?"

Makarov intervened with a cough, "Layla is the High Priestess in Magnolia. She communes with spirits that protect the city. Lucy is training to be a Spirit Priestess just like her mother."

"I'm not nearly as good as she is, though." Lucy said quickly, though it seemed that she spoke to Makarov rather than Natsu, who she had effectively turned her back on.

Gajeel rolled his eyes, "I'm getting tired of asking questions, but what is a Spirit Priestess?"

The man, Jude, cleared his throat, "A Spirit Priestess is a kind of magician that uses magic to commune with spirits. The ones that guard Magnolia are Celestial Spirits- spirits of the stars, but some of the more experienced Spirit Mages can commune with any soul, be it alive or dead."

Wendy's eyes lit up, "That sounds amazing!"

"That sounds stupid." Natsu muttered with a diffident air. He wasn't as easily impressed by humans. The magician business sounded sketchy to him.

Layla noticed his unease and held up a hand, "I won't harm you."

He eyed her gesture with suspicion and growled, "I'm not coming down there for you to pet me."

She laughed again, "I'm not going to pet you, but I can't exactly shake your hand, can I?"

Natsu hesitated and shot a glance at Makarov. The old dragon nodded, so he leaned down slowly and held his head just a short distance from the blonde woman. He wouldn't be the one to make the first contact.

Layla set her hand lightly on his snout and closed her eyes.

Natsu's scales bristled as a seemingly electric current ran through his body. It felt like every nerve in his body had become a live wire, and then images of his life rushed through his head like a flash flood.

She was looking through the memories of his spirit.

He pulled back his head and broke the contact with a hiss, "Stop that!"

Layla opened her eyes and looked up at him with a strange look. It was almost pity, but there was real sadness there as well in her voice, "You've suffered so much for so young a child…"

Natsu stared at her with unease, then whipped away and stalked towards the Hall entrance.

Wendy tilted her head, "Natsu, are you okay?"

When he ignored her, Erza glanced at Layla, "Should I stop him?"

"No need." the woman murmured, "He just needs time alone." Her voice rose to a call, "You can ask for me anytime, Natsu. For anything that might be troubling you from your past, or your present."

The way she put an edge to the word, "Present" made Natsu slam his tail against the wall in warning. Then the Flame Drake leaped out of the Hall and flew out into open air.

Makarov sighed, "Well, that's unfortunate."

"On the contrary, I think that was a good experience for him." Layla remarked, "Fiery as he is, that poor dragon has suffered far too long. I hope that joining your Thunder will change that for him…" she trailed off with a sad expression.

Lucy stared at her, "Mom, what's wrong?"

Layla shook her head and wiped her eyes, "No…it's nothing. Where's Dragion?"

"H-here, ma'am."

The spiky haired teenager walked over from behind Levy. Gajeel shook his head at the sight, "This is why I don't like humans. They get under your feet and you have to watch out or you'll crush them. It's so much easier when it doesn't matter whether they get crushed or not."

Jude arched an eyebrow at that, "Makarov, it seems these new dragons aren't very human friendly. Will the city be safe with them here?"

The old dragon grunted, "I'm confident we can keep them in check. Leave them to me."

Jude nodded, then motioned to Lucy and Dragion, "Well, let's get you two home."

Layla shook her head and smiled at her daughter and husband, "I think I'm going to stay for a while longer. I'll be back home later tonight, okay?"

Lucy frowned, "Are you going to wait on that dragon to come back? He's dangerous. You know he tried to eat me? What did you see that made such an impact on you, mom?"

Her mother sighed, "Perhaps you'll find out for yourself one day, Lucy. I can't really put into words what he has lost. What he needs right now is time alone and time to heal. I think all of the new dragons need time to heal. But I'll stay for just a short time, so don't worry."

Lucy stared at her for a moment longer, then went back to Jude and Dragion, and rode Kinana back down to the city.

The other dragons went away to do their own thing, but Makarov remained with Layla. With a slight touch of her hand to his leg, the old dragon led her to the back of the Hall.

/

"It's been a while since I've seen that look on your face, my lady." Makarov rumbled, "What terrible pain has brought such a sad look to your eyes?"

"…" Layla said nothing at first, then sighed, "I didn't expect what I saw. Did you know that he's Igneel's son?"

Makarov started with surprise, "Igneel's! Are you sure?"

"Yes." she whispered, "For he saw his own father struck down by that black beast."

The old dragon shook his head with a faint anger in his eyes, "And curse that monster. Word came that Igneel had been slain, but no one knew anything about his family. We assumed that Acnologia had killed them as well...I never imagined his son would come here."

Layla nodded, "He wanted powerful comrades so he could destroy the black dragon. He hasn't given up on that goal, either."

Makarov lay down with a faint shaking of the earth from his massive weight. He watched Layla closely, "What should we do about it?"

"For now, it's best if you leave him to me." Layla decided, "Once he learns that I knew Igneel, I think he'll be more inclined to share his troubles with me. His hatred of humans is well-deserved, but I don't think it's an irreparable wound…with time, I believe I can show him that rejecting mankind will only hinder his quest to slay Acnologia. For I fear that is to be his fate, and it will no doubt end in bloodshed, one way or another."

"A hard task, for one so young." Makarov said sympathetically.

The High Priestess said nothing, then began to walk away until Makarov stopped her with a grunt, "Layla. It's unlike you to remain silent. You saw something else in his memories, didn't you?"

She nodded briefly, but still kept quiet, so the old dragon prompted, "Can I trust him?"

Layla turned and smiled at Makarov, "You can trust me. And I'll do what I can to help Natsu. What of the Water Dragonelle that you've taken in? Shouldn't you worry more about her?"

Makarov's eye twitched, "Now when did you…ah, when you touched my leg, I see. Clever as always, my lady."

She laughed again, then started walking off with a call over her shoulder, "Juvia will also take time to heal, but her problem is more about being undereducated rather than being in pain. Perhaps Erza and Gray would be good for helping her. Keep an eye on Gajeel as well- he's like Natsu, but somehow he's more wary…more of a loose cannon."

"I'll bear that in mind." Makarov grunted, "When Natsu returns, could you show him to an empty cavern?"

"I'll do that. Goodnight, Makarov." Layla curtsied, then walked to the entrance of the Thunder Hall to wait.

/

Lisanna was sitting with a group of dragonelles in a corner of the hall. With her, were Erza, Mira, Wendy, Levy, and Evergreen. Kinana still hadn't returned from dropping off Dragion and the Heartfilia's.

"I was really surprised at how sad Layla seemed when she searched Natsu's memories." Levy remarked, "I thought for sure he was making most of that stuff up or exaggerating, but I guess he's really lost a lot, hasn't he?"

Wendy nodded, "Natsu never really talks much about his past. Not even to me or Gajeel."

He told me, Lisanna thought. But I never imagined it could bring even Layla to tears. Oh, Natsu...

"It must have been a real shock when Layla went through his whole life in just a few seconds." Erza murmured, "I guess he didn't take it too well, either, not after he stormed out like that."

"Can you blame him?" Evergreen said with a shrug, "Not meaning to be offensive, but when someone can go through every memory you have in a matter of seconds, it's just creepy. I wouldn't be surprised if Natsu trusts humans even less after this."

Lisanna shook her head, "I don't think so…he's just been through a lot, is all. It's like Layla said- He'll heal with time." I hope, she added silently.

"I wish I had your optimism." Mira sighed, "Until Natsu settles down and becomes less hostile, I don't think we can completely trust him. He's dangerous right now..."

"But he is our comrade." Erza decided, "We must make an effort to help him and the other dragons through their suffering. Juvia is no better off than him, and I doubt Gajeel and Wendy made up the pain they told us of." She nodded to the little Sky Dragonelle and murmured, "They're our friends now. We must be there for them every step of the way."

/\/\/\/\/\

Natsu only returned when the sky was dark and the city was quiet. He flew into the Hall silently, which was lit by glowing stones on the walls.

Layla was waiting at the entrance. She said nothing, just gestured for him to follow her.

He followed her without a word, sensing that she wasn't going to talk to him just yet.

The Spirit Mage led him to an empty, unused cavern in the Hall. She turned and finally spoke, "This is your cave now. The whole Thunder Hall has a number of spare caves for new dragons. You'll find a pool of water in the back if you get thirsty, and just ask someone if you need something to eat."

"I already ate." he growled, "You didn't think I went flying just to sulk, did you?"

Layla smiled, "Did I say I thought that?"

Natsu snorted, "I suppose not." He walked into the cavern and went to the back, then lay down with a grunt.

Layla followed him inside, only stopping when he shot her a glare, "What do you want?"

"Did I say I wanted something?" she asked.

"Don't mess with me." he warned, "You wouldn't keep bothering me unless there was something you wanted."

Layla sighed, "I suppose you're right to be wary. You have little reason to trust humans, after all."

"And stop pretending that you know me." Natsu hissed, "Just because you looked through my memories doesn't mean you know who I am."

"Would that perspective change if I told you I knew Igneel?" she said softly.

Natsu stiffened and stared at her, "What?"

Layla nodded, "It's true. I knew Igneel for a short time. He came to me in a city far from here when we needed his help. Igneel was the first dragon I ever met on friendly terms."

She sighed, "That was twenty years ago. After he helped us, Igneel flew south. I assume he went straight home to the southern continent, because that was the very last time I saw him."

"Why would he help you?" Natsu asked, "He never told me he helped humans."

"Not unlike you." Layla said with a glimmer of amusement, "You've never spoken to anyone of that little girl you helped seven years ago."

The Flame Drake's tail twitched, "I guess…so are you going to answer my question?"

But the woman shook her head, "Now is not the time, nor place for that. But I will tell you something that will keep you satisfied, Natsu. Look out here."

She walked to the wall and pressed a small button in the rock. The wall shifted, then opened up to reveal a window that overlooked the city.

Layla watched the city lights with a smile, "Our home is a peaceful place, with no war to threaten us. It has been this way ever since I came here seventeen years ago. Just shortly after I arrived, Lucy was born. Magnolia has brought much joy to me and the many families living here. The dragons, too, have all lived good lives over the city."

As Natsu watched, her smile faded, "But I fear that peace will not last for much longer."

Natsu stared at her, "What do you mean?"

"The Dragon Slavers are growing bolder." she murmured, "They have never come so deep into Fiore before, and I don't think that'll be the last time we see them this close. But now, I think they'll appear sooner than we expected."

"Why is that?" he asked.

Layla looked at him with a serious expression, "Juvia was one of their dragons. The Dragon Slavers are familiar with the powers of a Spirit Mage- that's why they tried to take Lucy with them, to find a way to use her powers, even if they aren't yet complete. But Juvia came here with you and the others, and the Dragon Slavers know it. They'll try to take her back, for fear that I find something in her spirit that we can use against them."

Natsu nodded, "Makes sense. So, did you find anything in Juvia's spirit?"

"I haven't looked in her memories." Layla said, "I won't do that without her permission. Once Juvia recovers from being used all her life, then I'll ask her if she wants to share."

The Flame Drake snorted, "You didn't ask me before you looked through my memories."

Layla winked, "You wouldn't have let me if I told you what I was going to do. Just like Igneel. You're so similar to him. Especially with dragonelles."

Natsu didn't like the sound of that. He growled, "What does that mean?"

"It means you both have a taste for the forbidden." she said, "Do I need to say more?"

"So what?" Natsu muttered, then asked, "And what do you mean, my father was the same way?"

Layla shook her head, "Your father asked me to keep that a secret, and I'll stand by my word. But you must tread carefully if you're going to keep sneaking around with a dragonelle in this Thunder. Believe me, I've tried to change the way the Thunders work, but I am just one human voice among several ancient dragons, and my position as High Priestess means little to them. The leaders of every Thunder in Fiore have rejected the idea of allowing their dragons to have families of their own."

"Old dragons have no power over me." Natsu sniffed.

"I thought not." Layla smiled, "I won't tell anyone what you're doing, Natsu, just remember to be careful. You're on a very short leash right now in the Thunder; it wouldn't be wise to act suspiciously."

"Why are you helping me?" he asked.

Layla looked him straight in the eye with an unwavering stare, "Because I want you to trust me. Can you do that?"

Natsu's eyes narrowed, "…We'll see."

The woman dipped her head and walked out of the cave with a call over her shoulder, "Sleep well, Natsu. I think tomorrow's going to be a big day."

The Flame Drake watched her go, then settled down for sleep.

What have I gotten myself into?


	17. Human

Chapter 17: Human 

Natsu was awakened the next morning by Erza. The Blade Dragonelle walked in and cleared her throat, making his head jerk up in alarm.

She smiled with amusement, "Don't be so skittish, Natsu. I just thought you'd be hungry, is all. Are you coming?"

He took a second to remember that he was in the Thunder Hall, living as a part of Fairy Tail now.

Natsu stood and stretched like a cat, then followed her out with a grunt, "Yeah, I'm coming."

/

They walked out to the Hall, where most of the other dragons were waiting. Natsu noticed that even with so many dragons, the Thunder Hall was still very spacious. It really was a huge area.

"There you are." Wendy chirped as he followed Erza out, "I thought you might sleep in after yesterday."

Natsu shrugged, "I'm fine. So, where are we hunting?"

Gray snorted, "We're not hunting."

The Flame Drake became confused, "Then how are we eating?"

"Layla offered to let us eat with her family." Erza explained, "So we're going to her home."

Natsu stared at her, "We'll never fit in one of those tiny human homes."

"Well, Layla's house is far from tiny." Makarov walked up with a rumble, "And we're not going as dragons. We're going as humans."

"Gramps, are you sure you're not senile?" Gajeel muttered, "Go as a human? That's not even possible. If you're going to joke, at least make it a little funny."

Makarov snorted with laughter, "I'm not joking. Just watch; I'll become a human right before your very eyes."

Natsu and Gajeel glanced at each other, then looked at the old drake expectantly, although the expression in their eyes was a bored one.

But Makarov's body suddenly glowed, then he shrunk down…and down…and down.

They were suddenly faced with an incredibly tiny old man. Natsu and Gajeel's jaws dropped in perfect unison.

Makarov, who now wore a vacation shirt, shorts, and sandals, started dying with laughter, "The looks on your faces! Bwahaha! I never get tired of that!"

"Gramps, I can't even consider you a snack." Gajeel managed.

Erza gave him a sharp look, "If you try and eat our leader, I'll slice your gut open to get him out."

Natsu stared at her, "Can you do that too?"

Erza promptly transformed into a beautiful red-head with a confident smirk on her face. She wore armor with a blue skirt and boots.

Gajeel looked around at the other dragons around them, "Don't tell me ALL of you can do this?!"

To their disbelief, the dragons around them immediately turned into humans, giggling and laughing at their stunned expressions.

Natsu stared at Lisanna and Mirajane, who wore dresses of blue and red and looked more similar than ever, "This is…kind of weird…"

Gajeel glanced around, then grunted, "Oi, where's Wendy?"

"Down here."

The two drakes stared at a tiny girl with long, blue hair. She was wearing a green skirt and sandals, with a big smile on her face.

Natsu blinked, "Wendy?"

"How?!" Gajeel managed.

The little girl giggled, "Erza and Mira showed me this last night. Isn't it awesome?"

"And now, it's your turns." Makarov motioned with his hand, "Come on, just focus your magic and picture yourself turning into a human. Your appearance is already determined- you just have to will yourself to transform."

Natsu and Gajeel exchanged glances and shrugged. The two drakes then stood still and closed their eyes. For a few moments, nothing happened.

Then they glowed.

Natsu's body became blanketed in fire as he shrunk down, like a phoenix in rebirth.

Gajeel turned into liquified steel that seemed to fall in on itself as it got smaller, shaping into a human.

After a few moments, they stood before the other humanized dragons as people.

Natsu had shortish, spiky rose hair, dark eyes, and fairly tan skin.

Gajeel had a mane of spiky black hair with red eyes and darker skin.

Makarov was the only one applauding them though. The other dragons were gasping or snickering.

Natsu frowned as he looked around and saw some of the dragonelles turn away with embarrassed looks. Meanwhile, Gray fell to the floor dying with laughter. So he asked, "What?"

Makarov coughed, but there was a mischievous grin on his face, "I may have failed to mention that the first time you transform, you do not have any clothes on."

The two drakes looked themselves over and realized he was right; they were both standing totally naked in the middle of the hall. But to the shock and maybe slight horror of the humanized dragons watching, they weren't fazed at all.

Natsu stretched and grunted, "So what? I've never worn clothes all my life. What's the big deal?"

At that, Lisanna looked away with a crimson face, trying to hide that she was smiling and laughing like a complete idiot.

"I don't know how you wear those anyway." Gajeel muttered, "They look so uncomfortable. I'm sure the humans won't notice any difference if I walk around like this."

Gray snickered, "Why don't you go and see how that works?"

"Gray!" Erza chastised, "Can you imagine the townspeople? They'd be horrified if two naked men just walked down the streets!"

"But imagine the looks on their faces!" Gray laughed, "Think about it! It would be priceless!"

Natsu was inspecting his human form with disdain, "How do you hunt like this? I don't have any claws! And what the heck's happened to my fangs? Only a few of them are even sharp now!"

Makarov nodded, "That's because you're a human right now."

"Not for long." Gajeel growled, "I want my wings and tail back!"

A voice at the entrance of the hall caught their attention. Lucy walked in and called the dragons, "Morning, everyone! Mom told me to come get you-!" She stopped dead and stared at the two naked men standing in the hall.

Natsu caught her staring and bared his still-sharp canines in dislike, "Oh, you again. Didn't I tell you to go away? I can still eat you like this, you know."

It was hard to tell who was more horrified. The humanized dragons, because they knew he was serious, or Lucy, who had clearly taken the naked man's threat the wrong way. If that was judged by how red a person's face could get.

Or how loudly they screamed.

"HHHIIIIEEEEEEEE!"

/\/\/\/\/\

"It's okay, Lucy! Natsu didn't mean it!"

That was Levy's attempt to reassure Lucy that Natsu wasn't a human hater AND a pervert as they waited for the others to arrive at the Heartfilia home. Makarov had told them to go ahead while they found Natsu and Gajeel something to wear.

Lucy shook her head, "It's not okay! I mean, yesterday, he was mean, but back there- Oh, that dragon makes me sick!"

Levy sighed, "Well, I guess he could've been nicer about it…"

"I find it hard to imagine him being nice." Lucy sniffed, "Is he really going to stay here?"

"Yep, so we might as well make the best of it!" Levy chirped.

Lucy stared at her in disbelief, "How can you find anything positive about this?"

"I've got an idea."

Mirajane walked over and whispered lowly, "This is going to be the first time Natsu and Gajeel have ever been at a party. We could…mess with them a little."

Lucy's eyes sparked with interest, "What are you thinking?"

"Let's try to get them to dance at the party tonight." Mira said, "Two guys who don't even know what dancing is? Can you imagine how funny that would look?"

Lucy's pout became a big smile, "Mira, I know I've said this a lot, but you have a devious evil mind."

"Thank you so much, Lucy!" Mira said cheerfully.

Lisanna was listening to them close by. Sorry guys. You can mess with Gajeel all you like, but I think Natsu's going to give you a little surprise.

She smiled at her idea and turned as she heard the front door open. Makarov walked in with Natsu and Gajeel behind him.

Natsu wore a sleeveless, black and gold-trimmed waistcoat that was left open to expose his bare chest, white knee-length trousers, a brown belt, and a pair of black sandals.

Gajeel had on a shabby, black tunic with studded edges and a studded belt around his waist, as well as a wing-like ornament jutting upward over his right shoulder. Loose, beige pants tucked inside studded black boots and a pair of studded brown gloves finished off his outfit.

Well, sort of. Gajeel now had rows of round studs covering most of his exposed body.

Lucy arched an eyebrow at them, "Not bad for a couple of stubborn drakes."

Gajeel shrugged uncomfortably, "For the record, this lasts no longer than a few hours. I want to fly and hunt again pronto."

"Charming." Levy said dryly.

"Hey guys, Mrs. Layla said we can go into the dining room now…" Dragion walked in and trailed off after a moment.

Natsu stared back. Because the two of them looked so similar, it was scary.

The others looked between the two guys and realized that to someone who didn't know the difference, Natsu and Dragion could be brothers. Both had spiky rose hair, dark eyes, and the same general body structure.

There were differences though. Natsu's eyes were more intense, while Dragion's gaze was slightly nervous. But either way, they looked almost identical.

The way they talked was different too. Natsu growled, "Who the heck is this?"

Dragion visibly flinched and stammered, "U-um, I'm Dragion…I do mechanical work in the city…"

"And turns the same color as his hair when Lucy's around." Levy giggled.

On cue, the poor teenager went bright red and stuttered, "I-I do not!"

Natsu rolled his eyes, "Whatever. So what are we doing here again?"

"You're all having breakfast." Layla walked in with Jude just behind her.

The blonde man nodded to Makarov, "It's been a while since we've had the whole of the Thunder eat with us, but I think we'll manage."

Makarov grunted, "Well, Laxus isn't here, and neither is the Thunder God Tribe, but that doesn't really surprise me."

"The Thunder what?" Gajeel asked.

Erza glanced at him, "Freed, Bixlow, and Evergreen. They're Laxus's personally trained bodyguard. Where he goes, they go."

Layla smiled, "I don't think Laxus has ever showed up for breakfast here, so it doesn't change much. He's not one for formalities."

Natsu raised an eyebrow, "For the record, neither am I. Does this happen every day?"

Jude shook his head, "No, but we decided that since you and the other new dragons joined Fairy Tail, we'd take some time to get to know you. And Makarov has been discussing your punishment with me for raiding the countryside."

"That sounds more like it." Gajeel grinned, "I was wondering why you'd invite roughnecks like us here. Interrogation sounds like a better way to spice up my morning. Gee-hee."

/

To anyone who was familiar with human housing, the Heartfilia dining room was a fancy setup.

To Natsu and Gajeel, the dining hall looked like the weirdest thing they'd ever seen.

A long, dark table took up the center of the room, which was lit up with open windows on one wall to let sunlight in. Chairs lined the sides of the table, with one at each end. Food was already laid out on the table, which was about the only thing at least a little recognizable to the newcomers.

Jude motioned with his hand, "Take a seat, everyone."

After they had all settled into a chair, Jude glanced at Makarov, "Should we let them eat first, or tell them what their punishment will be?"

Before Makarov could say a word, Gajeel grunted, "Let us have it, old man. Bring the pain."

Erza sighed, "Gajeel?"

"What?" he asked.

"Shut up." she said curtly.

Gajeel arched a studded eyebrow at her, but held his tongue.

Jude cleared his throat, "Well, Makarov and I decided on a suitable punishment for you. Since you know nothing about humans other than how we taste, you're going to constantly remain in a human's presence."

"Meaning what?" Natsu asked.

"We've divided the task up." Makarov informed him, "Wendy's offenses were only minor, since she never actually raided a human settlement without you or Gajeel there, and I might add that you two were the ones who caused the most damage. Wendy will help out with watching young human children."

Gajeel shuddered, "I don't envy her for that. Human kids are noisy little brats."

"Gajeel will do mechanical repairs to the city. That means you answer to Dragion and his crew." Makarov continued.

"Wait a sec." he started with a disbelieving tone, "You can't mean the same stuttering punk that's the Salamander's look alike."

"That's exactly who I mean." Makarov said unabashedly, "And as for Natsu…Layla had a special request for him."

"Oh, great." Natsu muttered.

"As a result of the recent attempt to kidnap Lucy, we now know that the higher ups commanding the Dragon Slavers are after Spirit Mages. Layla is strong enough to defend herself, but Lucy wasn't able to escape the Dragon Slavers who caught her. Natsu, your job will be to guard Lucy during the daytime." Makarov finished.

Natsu blinked. Then he growled, "Excuse me?"

Lucy's jaw dropped, "Hold on, this guy has to be with me all the time?! That's not fair! He's-"

"-Now one of the dragons living in this city, and stronger than you give him credit for." Layla murmured, "I think it'll be a good experience for both of you. You can learn from each other."

Lucy hesitated, then muttered, "I'll only feel comfortable if I know for a fact he's not going to eat me. He should let me look through his spirit memories."

"Oh, hell no." Natsu snarled, "I'm already pissed about your mother pulling that little trick yesterday, but there's no way you're getting in my head too. Forget it."

Erza glared at him, "Check your tone, Natsu. You are a guest in this house. Behave and be respectful."

Lucy crossed her arms, "Mom, this isn't going to work. I want nothing to do with him, and he would much rather eat me than babysit me. Can't you put him with cooking, or something?"

"For once, I agree with her." Natsu grunted.

"No." Layla said firmly, "Natsu is going to be Lucy's bodyguard. That's my final word on the matter."

"Mom!" Lucy protested.

"Lucy, enough." Jude interrupted, "This is how things are going to work. Make the best of it. Try and make friends rather than enemies."

Natsu and Lucy took one glance at each other and saw nothing but hostility.

Erza sighed, "It could be worse. You could've been executed, Natsu."

"So I've been told." he snapped.

"How do we even know if he's a good fighter?" Lucy demanded, "I mean, Gray got him pretty bad. Doesn't that say something about him?"

Natsu flashed her a glare, "Are you suggesting that the icy prick is stronger than I am?"

"What did you call me?" Gray almost jumped to his feet.

"Well, there's one easy way to find out."

The two fighting drakes turned their angry looks to their leader, who shrugged, "Take it outside, brats. Get in the air and show us what you can do."

Jude raised an eyebrow, "Is that wise?"

Layla sighed, "Well, I suppose it would be good if we all knew the extent of Natsu's abilities."

"Extent?" Natsu echoed, "I won't even have to put in 50% to put droopy eyes down."

"Challenge accepted, squinty eyes. This time, I'll freeze you to the bone." Gray shot back.

"Outside it is, then." Makarov said with a grin, "Breakfast and a show. Delightful."

/

The two rivals faced off against each other in the hills behind the mansion.

Gray shifted back into a dragon and glared down at the still-humanized version of Natsu, who didn't flinch at the change, but frowned at himself, "How the heck do I go back to normal?"

"Same thing as before." Makarov instructed as he chewed on a bagel, "Imagine yourself turning into a dragon and your body will do the rest."

Natsu did as he said and was quickly turned back into a dragon, which growled in satisfaction, "Oh, yes, that's much better."

"Ready to get crushed, you damn flame?" Gray challenged.

"When you are." Natsu hissed.

Gray jumped into the air, intending to get above his opponent so he had the advantage of height.

What he didn't expect was to get a tail slammed into the top of his head. Natsu had also leaped up, but had thrown a forward flip into it. Now he flapped his wings quickly and took the height advantage.

The Ice Drake grunted as he was crushed back to earth, but he leaped back into the air after Natsu with a curse, "Not bad, squinty eyes!"

Natsu didn't bother replying. He had something to prove, and he was gonna prove it no matter what. His only response was to dive down and crash into Gray with a snarl. The two drakes locked in midair combat, with snapping teeth and slashing claws tearing at their rival.

The Flame Drake separated from his enemy and flew upwards quickly, then flipped backwards and dove at Gray again. Their heads slammed into each other with violent force, making them stagger in midair.

Natsu reeled away with a snarl, then flew up again to gain altitude. Enough playing around!

Gray lunged up after him, growling a challenge. He spat a blast of icy cold energy at the Flame Drake, catching him square in the back, but it only made Natsu whip around with a hiss of anger.

Now he sucked in a deep breath and let loose a river of flame which blazed through the air with a mighty roar.

Gray darted sideways in an attempt to avoid it, but the breath caught him in the back leg and made the Ice Drake lose balance in midair.

Natsu saw his chance and took it. He lunged down with blistering speed, catching his opponent completely off guard. Gray had time to glance up before Natsu was on him, one hand grabbing his horn, another gripping one of his wings, and then the Flame Drake's sharp fangs clamped down onto his neck.

Gray screeched in pain and struggled to get loose, but Natsu dropped his whole body weight on the Ice Drake and crushed him out of the sky and into the earth with a tremendous slamming sound. Natsu kept his enemy pinned down with sheer mass, but increased the pressure he had on where his claws and fangs gripped the Ice Drake. No matter how hard Gray tried to get free, Natsu restrained him.

"That's enough." Makarov interrupted, "Let him go, Natsu."

Natsu crunched harder for a brief moment, then released Gray with a roar. The Ice Drake rolled back onto his feet with a gasp and staggered to keep his balance.

The watching humans and dragons were surprised to say the least, except for Makarov, Layla, and Natsu's old team. Layla glanced at her daughter, who looked dumbstruck, and smiled, "Natsu's human skills are underdeveloped, certainly, but that's been a blessing in disguise. Since he's spent all his life as a dragon, his body is stronger than the average dragon living in a Thunder. He's wild born and raised. You couldn't ask for a better fighter."

"Lady, that's debatable." Gajeel muttered.

Natsu spread his wings out and stretched, "How you guys spend time as humans at all is beyond me. How do you live without your wings, claws, and tail?"

"Well, the advantage is you don't have to eat as much." Erza pointed out.

"You're also easier to kill." Natsu shot back.

Jude cleared his throat, "If we're done with this fighting business, I think we should go finish breakfast."

While he led them back to the mansion, Natsu took a moment to assess what the others thought about his victory. Most of the Thunder looked surprised and excited. The drakes, however, looked guarded and wary, like they'd just had a major reality check.

Natsu liked that. Now he had at least some respect from them.

Lucy looked like she wanted to find something in how he fought to get out of the whole bodyguard business, but it seemed that she wasn't having any luck with that. Natsu caught her eye and held her gaze for a moment, then snorted and looked away.

I might be strong enough to impress you. I might have to protect you. But that doesn't mean I have to enjoy babysitting you, human.


	18. Party Crashers

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Chapter 18: Party Crashers

"Tell me why I have to do this again?" Natsu groaned for the umpteenth time that day.

Since he now had to babysit Lucy all day, she had decided to do everything possible to make his life as miserable as she could. The most effective way of doing this was shopping.

Not only was it immensely boring for him, but Lucy was making Natsu carry all her shopping bags. Moreover, he could not turn into a dragon to carry them, so his human form was barely able to carry all the heavy bags.

"Because there's a party tonight, and I want to make sure I have everything I need." Lucy said as she looked through dresses. She pulled out a red one from the rack and held it up to Mira and Levy, who had accompanied them on their shopping trip.

They also happened to make Natsu carry their bags as well.

"What do you think of this one, guys?" Lucy asked.

Mira nodded, "That looks great."

"Red always has looked pretty on you." Levy put in, then held up a black dress and looked hopefully between her friends, "What do you think?"

"Yeah, yeah, it looks great, so can we just do something else?" Natsu muttered hopefully.

Lucy shrugged and exchanged a mischievous look with her friends, "Well, I'm not for sure yet, so let's look at a few more."

Natsu wanted to turn into a dragon and eat her right then. She's doing this on purpose!

"Hey, guys!"

They paused as Lisanna and Elfman walked up. The girl smiled and looked over the collection of shopping bags in Natsu's arms with a giggle, "Wow, you've been busy. Well, Layla wants Natsu and Lucy to come see her right now, so I brought Elfman to carry your stuff."

Her brother stopped dead and flashed a horrified look at her, "You what?!"

Natsu forced the shopping bags onto Elfman with a grunt of relief, "Thanks, big guy. Good luck."

Lucy frowned, "Hold on, what does she want me for?"

Lisanna shrugged, "Layla said she only needs help with something. I think it was about preparing stuff for the party."

Lucy's eyes brightened at the mention of the party, and her friends exchanged little giggles of mischief, so she said cheerfully, "'Kay, then I'll be there after I finish buying my stuff!"

Natsu grunted and followed Lisanna out of the shopping area. He rolled his shoulders with a mutter, "Jeez, human females are so weird…Why do they need so much stuff?"

"It's just the way they are." Lisanna explained, "That's like asking why drakes are so competitive. It's just natural."

Natsu rolled his eyes and gazed at her expectantly, "So, what does the great High Priestess want from me now?"

Lisanna did her best to reply casually, "Oh, she, Lucy, and I are going to teach you and Gajeel how to dance."

Natsu blinked. He processed that for a few moments and stopped mid-step. When he stared at Lisanna again, he had a frown on his face, "Could you say that again? I thought you said you were-"

"-Gonna teach you to dance?" she finished with a smile, "Well, that's what we're going to do."

He held his hands up, "Oh, no. No, no, no. Turning human and having to guard a human is one thing, but dancing-"

"Oh, relax!" Lisanna laughed, "It's not that complicated, and we're only going to teach you the easy stuff. Lucy and the others seem to want to make you and Gajeel look like idiots tonight at the party, so Layla thought it might be good to teach you a little to surprise them."

Natsu arched an eyebrow and smirked, "And how did she hear about that?"

"I may have mentioned it to her." she said innocently.

"Well, either way, thanks for the save." he murmured gratefully.

Lisanna bit back a smile, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Uh-huh." Natsu grinned, but she didn't say anything and just led him away.

/

"Right, so let's get started." Layla said.

They were in the ballroom of Layla's mansion, where she, Lucy, and Lisanna were attempting to teach Natsu and Gajeel to dance. Mira and Levy were there as well, watching from one end of the room.

Lucy's happy expression faded instantly when her mother told her what the idea was, "What?!"

"Oh, don't be that way. It'll only be for a short time. We'll just teach them something simple so they don't feel completely inept when everyone dances at the party." Layla told her daughter.

Lucy pouted, probably because her plans of humiliating Natsu and Gajeel had just been ruined, but she sighed and obeyed her mother. She walked up to Natsu first and held her hands out unhappily, "Right, take my hands."

Natsu reached out and touched her hands, but Lucy flinched with surprise, "W-wow, your hands are really warm."

He rolled his eyes, "I am a Fire Drake, you know. Heat is just part of who I am."

"So I noticed." Lucy said dryly, but took his hands again and started to lead him in a basic stepping pattern, "So, it's two steps forward, one step back…yeah, just like that."

Natsu looked bored, "What's the purpose of this again?"

Layla smiled at him, "Humans celebrate in different ways than dragons. We like being close to one another- it's just in our nature to do so. Dancing is great fun once you learn how."

"Uh-huh…" Gajeel yawned and sat down, leaning against the wall with a mutter, "I'm gonna take a nap. Tell me how it goes."

"Gajeel, come here. You're learning too."

The black-haired teen opened his eyes and stared at Layla, who had a hand held out to him. His voice had disbelief etched into it, "You cannot be serious."

"Come on." she prompted.

Gajeel sighed and got up, then walked over with a glance at Natsu, trying to imitate what he was doing in silence.

After a few minutes of trying to dance with the newbies (And stepping on Layla and Lucy's feet multiple times) the blondes pulled away and took a break, but unfortunately for Natsu and Gajeel, they weren't so lucky.

"Alright, someone take over for us." Layla said, glancing expectantly at the watching bystanders.

Mira waved her hands, "No thank you. They're not my type."

Lucy sweat dropped, "Mira, no one's asking you to go out with them. Though I can't imagine anyone would ever want that."

"We're standing right here, y'know…" Natsu muttered.

Lisanna sighed, "Oh, fine. If you're all going to be that way, then I'll help."

Mira blinked in surprise, "Wait, are you serious?"

"Yup." her sister said, then walked over to Natsu and offered her hands to him.

Lucy stared after her, "What's gotten into you?"

Lisanna glanced over her shoulder, "Well, Layla asked us to help them out, so that's what I'm doing."

"I guess so…" Levy seemed to consider, then got up and walked to Gajeel, "Alright, I'll help you out a little."

Gajeel arched an eyebrow, "'Little' is right."

Levy pouted and spun around, "On second thought-"

"Oi, shrimp, I was just joking." he chuckled, "Don't take it all so personal."

She spun on her heels and glared at him, "My name is Levy. L-E-V-Y."

Gajeel shrugged, "Sure, shrimp. Whatever you say."

Levy huffed and offered her hands with a mutter, "I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm being way too nice to you."

Layla smiled at their cooperation and sat down by a piano in the back of the room, then started to play a slow, simple song.

Natsu, meanwhile, was trying to avoid stepping on Lisanna's toes as much as he had Lucy's. After a minute or so, he seemed to get the hang of it and was able to match her step for step.

Lisanna smiled brightly, "See? You can learn."

Natsu grinned, but Lucy wasn't as impressed, "That's the easiest dance there is, of course he can learn it. I dare him to learn something that's actually really hard."

He rolled his eyes, "Didn't you say the point of dancing was to have a good time? I'm not gonna bother with super-hard stuff."

"He makes an excellent point, Lucy." Layla chuckled.

Lucy puffed up a cheek, "Well…maybe. It doesn't mean I have to like him."

Natsu ignored her and focused on trying to remain in-step with Lisanna. While Gajeel and Levy were still adjusting to the height difference, Natsu and Lisanna had easily gotten in sync with each other. They were standing pretty close, maybe a little closer than normal, but no one seemed to notice.

Lisanna found herself in the one place she couldn't escape from: those dark, piercing eyes. They made her heartbeat pick up and her breath became short.

Natsu had his gaze fixed on her, a slight frown on his face, like he wasn't sure what to do even though he was dancing with her easily enough. Gradually, his steps became a little hesitant, until he was just shuffling his feet to keep himself moving.

Near the end of the song Layla was playing, Lisanna stopped dancing altogether and took a step closer to him, leaning up slightly so they were face to face. Natsu just stared back as she shifted closer, uncertain as to what she was…

Layla hit the last key a little harder than normal, making everyone jump. The blonde woman offered an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry, I think my hand slipped."

Lisanna blinked, then suddenly realized with a rush of heat that she was way, way too close to Natsu and pulled back instantly. She dipped her head awkwardly, "E-excuse me. I'm thirsty, so I'll go get a drink now."

She walked out of the room hurriedly, not another word leaving her mouth. Natsu stared after her with confusion, but he felt eyes on him, so he glanced back and saw Layla with an eyebrow arched.

Layla had hit the key hard on purpose so they would separate.

Mira and Levy hadn't noticed. Gajeel seemed to be ignorant of the whole thing, but he mouthed to Natsu when no one else was looking. Dumbass!

But that wasn't the end of it. Natsu looked at Lucy and saw her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open. He bristled uneasily. She'd seen the way he and Lisanna had been.

Layla coughed and nodded at everyone in the room, "Right, well it's about time the party started, so go help everyone set it all up. I'll be out shortly."

The others left the room, then Layla sighed and went to the kitchen.

/

Lisanna was hunched over a sink, cupping water and dousing her face with it. Her breath still hadn't settled down, courtesy of her quickened heartbeat. She looked up at the mirror and pouted when she found her cheeks were still red. That was the one thing she didn't like about being human- her emotions just wrote themselves all over her face and wouldn't go away.

The door opened behind her and Layla walked in with a calm look. Lisanna wiped her face with a towel and turned to face her, smiling weakly, "Hi."

"You don't seem well." Layla murmured, concern in her eyes, "What's bothering you, Lisanna?"

The white-haired girl shuffled her feet slightly and looked down, "I-it's nothing. I think I was just thirsty, is all."

Layla smiled at her, "You can tell me the truth, Lisanna. I looked through Natsu's memories yesterday, remember? I know you've met him before."

Lisanna stared at her in alarm and gulped, "S-so?"

"So, nothing." Layla said gently, "I don't intend to tell anyone. I've been trying to change the Thunders for years now, even though my attempts have all been shunned."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Oh, Lisanna, aren't you as entitled to love someone as much as the Thunder leaders?"

Lisanna's cheeks flushed that irritating pink again, causing her to stammer, "I-I don't- I'm not! I didn't plan on Natsu coming here! I was going to turn him in!"

"Yet you seemed truly happy in Natsu's memories." Layla pointed out, "I do not judge you, Lisanna. You never set out to betray your friends or betray Natsu, but you must control your feelings around him. They will be your undoing if you do not."

"What feelings?" Lisanna muttered, "I don't feel that way about him. I can't, you know that."

"Yes, you can." Layla took the girl's hands and smiled, "You already do, even if it's just been a short while. It started in your waterfall cave."

Lisanna pulled her hands free and rubbed her arm self-consciously, "Please don't look through my memories without asking."

"Forgive me." Layla murmured, "But I'm simply saying that change is inevitable. The Thunders will change one day, so that every dragon may have a partner of their own. Somehow, I think Natsu will help make the leaders think differently. He's influential, like his father was. But I don't think he can do it alone. Do your best to support him. Until then, try and hide your feelings. You must settle for stolen moments when no one is watching, understand?"

Lisanna frowned, "I-I have to go…I need some fresh air…"

Layla let her go, but called once the girl reached the door, "It can end well, Lisanna. No matter what you've thought before, Natsu has the power to change everything in the Thunders beyond your or my wildest dreams."

Lisanna paused at that, then hurried out without looking back.

Layla smiled as the young dragonelle left, closing her eyes softly. Natsu…you can change the dragons living on this continent, starting with Lisanna. I know you can.

/\/\/\/\/\

A few hours later, when the sky had grown dark, the party in Magnolia began.

It was set up in a large park with cherry-blossom trees, where people walked around and chatted, ate, and danced happily. Everyone was having a great time.

Well, almost everyone.

Natsu had been trying to ditch Lucy for nearly an hour, but at last, she caught him and dragged the boy into a dancing crowd where he couldn't escape.

He growled at her, "What do you want?"

Lucy stared at him, "What was that back there with you and Lisanna?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." he said lamely.

Lucy puffed up a cheek indignantly, "Stupid, she tried to kiss you. That's not something she's ever done before, and the very last person- or dragon- I would expect her to kiss is you. Explain yourself."

Natsu glared at her, "What do you want me to say? And what the hell is a kiss?"

Lucy gaped at him, "You are the most clueless person I have ever met."

Before he could snap a reply, she glanced around and pointed at two people who were locked at the lips, "That's a kiss."

Natsu stared at the people and frowned, "What the hell, are they trying to eat each other or something? Should we stop them?"

Lucy's cheek puffed up again, but this time with laughter, "Pufu! No, no, no! That's supposed to be romantic! It means they love each other!"

"That's a weird way to say you love someone." Natsu managed, still trying to figure out how the two people were kissing. Are they GLUED to each other, or something?

"It's a human thing. What do dragons do?"

"Excuse me?"

"How do you…prove to someone that you love them?" Lucy asked curiously, "You clearly don't kiss, so what would a dragon like you do?"

Natsu looked up at the sky, "I'd go up there."

Lucy also looked skyward and frowned, "The moon?"

Now Natsu laughed, "Yes, I'd fly to the moon and back. Silly, I'd just fly up until I couldn't go any farther."

"Wow. Then what?"

Natsu closed his eyes and murmured quietly, "I'd fall."

Lucy stared at him, "Fall? From way up there?"

He nodded and stared up intensely at the dark sky, which was lit up by stars, "Yeah. It's called a skyfall. I guess…it's the dragon way of swearing their life to their partner."

"That sounds…" Lucy shrugged wonderingly, "I can't decide if it sounds crazy or amazing. Falling from all the way up there…when do you stop?"

"Just before we touch the ground."

"Isn't that scary, though?" she asked, wide-eyed.

Natsu shook his head, "No. It's the ultimate way of saying you trust your partner. That you would fall from way up there with another dragon and wait until the last second to pull away…it takes real courage and feelings to do that."

Lucy stared at him with a curious gleam, "That's sounds like you'd literally be falling in love."

Natsu raised an eyebrow, "Even for a human, you're pretty weird."

"Well, you're pretty weird too. I mean, you look exactly like Dragion, which is…kinda creepy." She offered a hesitant smile, "But you're a lot different from him. You're more of a troublemaker."

"You're not looking through my memories right now, are you?" Natsu muttered.

Lucy shook her head, "No, I'm not. You'd be able to tell. The only one who can get away with doing that is my mom because she's so good."

"Good at snooping through my memories." he growled, "I felt violated."

Lucy giggled, "Well, Soul Searching has that effect. It's what we call looking through memories. So, back to the main topic: Why was Lisanna trying to kiss you?"

Natsu sighed, "How should I know?"

"Well, she clearly likes you, but I just don't understand why." Lucy persisted, "I mean, you've known each other for like what, a day? Lisanna's not THAT gullible."

"You can bother me with this for as long as you want, but I don't know." he muttered.

Lucy wasn't satisfied, so she tried a different angle, "Do you like her?"

Natsu's eye twitched, just briefly, but his hesitation brought a gasp to Lucy, "You do! But isn't that forbidden in the Thunders? I though it was just leaders who could have mates…you're breaking the rules!"

"Rules are just a suggestion." Natsu grunted, then looked away, "Besides, it's none of your business what I do."

Lucy pulled his face back to stare him in the eye fiercely, "Yes, it is. Lisanna is my friend. I don't want you getting her into trouble, so stay away from her."

Natsu bristled and bared his fangs, "I have to babysit you, I don't have to take orders from you."

"I'll tell Makarov if you don't." she warned, "You're already in enough trouble as it is. You should be smart and stop feeling that way about her."

Natsu stared at her with anger burning in his eyes for a moment, then he grabbed her wrist and dragged her away from the crowd to a nearby building. Lucy struggled in his grip, but gasped when he shoved her up against the wall and hissed, "Let's get something straight here, little princess. I was born wild and I'll stay wild, one way or another. And that means that no one can stop me from feeling the way I want to. The Thunder's laws have no meaning to me, got it?! If I want to care about Lisanna, then I'll care about her. It's that simple."

Lucy's gaze went from a slight fear to coldness, "So, what's stopping you from eating me? It's not your feelings, that's for sure."

Natsu hesitated, then snapped in frustration, "I…ugh!"

Lucy sighed and crossed her arms, "You know, for a moment back there, I almost thought we were getting along, but I guess you're just going to stay a jerk, huh?"

He looked away and opened his mouth to answer, but he was interrupted.

"L-Lucy?"

Dragion was behind them, staring in shock.

Natsu rolled his eyes, "Oh, don't get so scared. She was just saying how much she hates my guts, alright?"

"Wh-what?" he stammered.

Natsu walked past him, thumping his shoulder with a hand as he did so, "She's all yours, kid. Go suck on her mouth, or whatever that weird kissing thing is you humans do. Maybe it'll shut her up long enough for my headache to go away."

If he'd waited just a moment longer, Natsu would've seen Dragion's face turn the same color as his hair.

Lucy called after him, "Hey, where are you going? You're supposed to be my bodyguard!"

"I'm obligated to keep you in the daytime." Natsu growled back, "Pretty boy can handle you at night."

The wording again made Dragion blush further, but Lucy just shook her head, "Honestly…"

"U-um, Lucy? Y-your mom w-wants you at the square…th-they're about to shoot the fireworks…"

Lucy nodded, "Okay, I'm coming."

/

Natsu walked off, muttering under his breath. She thinks she can tell me what to do?! Not if I have anything to say about it!

He was so frustrated and annoyed that he didn't even notice someone standing in front of him until he accidentally walked into them.

"Oh, hey! Sorry about that." he apologized.

"That's okay, I…uh…"

Natsu blinked and realized the person he'd run into was Lisanna. She was staring back with surprise and a slight trace of discomfort.

Of course it would be her he ran into. It couldn't be just some random person, could it?

Lisanna clasped her hands behind her back and looked away, "Oh, hi, Natsu. Are you having a good time?"

"It's…okay, I guess." he muttered, "Lucy was being a real pain earlier."

Lisanna frowned, "You should try getting along with her more. She's one of my friends and I know sometimes she can be a bit nosy, but that's just the writer part of her. She doesn't mean any harm by it and she's a great person once you get to know her."

"That depends on what her nosy bit finds out." Natsu said quietly, "Believe me, she already made it clear that you're her friend."

Lisanna blinked in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Let's see…'She's my friend, so stay away from her.' That's what the conversation pretty much added up to." Natsu growled irritably.

She stared at him in surprise, "Really? Why would she say that?"

Natsu shrugged, "I don't know. Lucy's weird, even for a human."

"But that doesn't…oh." Lisanna's eyes widened a little, "D-did she see something back in the mansion?"

"I guess so." he muttered.

Lisanna swallowed uneasily, "What did you say?"

"I…" Natsu started, but paused when something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He glanced to the side and saw someone in a dark cloak slipping through the crowd.

Natsu's eyes narrowed. There was something about that figure his instincts didn't like.

"Natsu?" Lisanna said uncertainly.

He blinked and looked back at her, then clasped one of her hands awkwardly, "Yeah, I'm gonna go check on something really quick okay? Just give me a minute and I'll get back with you."

Natsu darted off after the cloaked figure, but Lisanna called after him in protest, "Natsu!"

He kept following the shady person, making sure he was out of sight. The figure kept brushing past the other people and seemed to know exactly where it was going. Natsu couldn't see any part of its body, which was something he found suspicious. No other humans were dressed like that.

"Natsu, what are you doing?" Lisanna had followed him.

He held up a finger to his lips, "Shh. Something's not right."

The figure led them to the town square, where a group of people were gathered by the Heartfilias and some guys about to light fireworks. The shady person paused briefly at the sight, then quickened its pace slightly as it weaved through the crowd towards the Heartfilias. Natsu saw something flash under its sleeve.

He bristled at the sight. He knew what the flashing was. A blade.

This guy was an assassin.

Natsu almost lunged straight after him, but when the crowd raised their hands and cheered to something Layla said, the figure raised its other hand and flicked its fingers.

A signal? he wondered, then noticed something on a rooftop nearby.

The object in question was moving slowly, silently, and appeared to be stalking the Heartfilias. On a gut feeling, Natsu glanced at the other rooftop on the opposite side of the square and saw another creature. They were huge, easily as big as a rhino, and looked like a panther had grown the head of a pit bull. He didn't know what they were, but he did not think they were here to party.

But they looked ready to spring on the Heartfilias from above.

Natsu knew what he had to do. I'm gonna get in so much trouble for this, he thought.

Lisanna prodded his shoulder, "What's wrong?"

"You should get down right now." he muttered.

She blinked, "What-eek!"

Natsu's body exploded in flames as he reverted to his dragon form, roaring furiously above the din of the party. Every body in the crowd cringed except for the assassin and the two predatory creatures, who lunged anyways.

The Flame Drake leaped over the crowd and caught one of the creatures midair with snapping jaws, making it squeal briefly before he crunched down and killed it. Natsu threw it aside with a snarl and poised his body over the Heartfilias, glaring at the assassin on the ground. The man hesitated and took a few steps back.

People were screaming at this point, but Natsu's snarling turned into a yelp as the other creature leaped onto his back and tried to bite into his neck. Whatever it was, its jaws were incredibly powerful.

Natsu snarled in rage and twisted his head to snap it off, but the creature let go of his neck and clamped its jaws onto his throat as he came down. Now the Flame Drake let out a strangled bellow of pain, shaking his head furiously to get it off. His tail accidentally slammed into a building, knocking it over with a loud crashing sound.

Oops.

The assassin on the ground seized the chance and lunged for the Heartfilias again, the knife in its hands aimed for Layla or Lucy. Natsu couldn't tell who he was trying to kill, but in a last-ditch effort, he reared up on two legs and roared as loudly as he could, making every human double over and clap their hands over their ears. The predator biting on his throat let go with a yelp of pain, shaking its head midair to clear the titanic bellow from its ears. It twisted to land on its feet like a cat.

Natsu didn't even let it finish the twist. Halfway through the move, his huge clawed foot came down and crushed the monster into a stain on the street.

The assassin was just a few feet away from the Heartfilias now, but Natsu used the momentum of his fall to snap his head forward like a snake and bite the man's upper body fiercely. He was about to crunch down and rip the assassin in half when Layla shouted, "Natsu, don't kill him!"

Natsu barely stopped himself, and instead spat the man out to pin him with his claws. The assassin was groaning in pain as Natsu leaned down to his face and snarled furiously, saliva and blood dripping from his curved fangs.

The crowd was in shock, until Jude barked, "Get the guards over here, now! Take this man into custody!"

Guards rushed forward and immediately put the man in handcuffs as Natsu let him up with a warning growl.

"Natsu!"

The Flame Drake glanced over his shoulder as Erza ran up with Gray, Mira, and Elfman right behind her. Her eyes were wide as she processed the scene, "What happened?!"

Layla motioned to the one predator Natsu hadn't completely destroyed, "Assassins. Natsu caught them before they could do anything, though. We were very lucky."

Lucy was pale and seemed stunned, something which made Natsu snort in triumph. Yeah, you don't think I'm a total jerk now, do ya?

Erza knelt down by the dead monster and frowned, "This is a hellhound…but…there was only one assassin?"

Jude nodded, "Just the one Natsu quite nearly bit in half."

But Erza started looking around with intense eyes, "That's not possible. Only one hellhound will listen to only one person and there are two here…"

Natsu heard a twanging sound and bristled, suddenly realizing what Erza meant. He quickly moved again and planted himself over the Heartfilias, then staggered and grunted as a stabbing pain entered his side.

"Natsu!" Layla gasped.

Nearly blind in pain and rage, Natsu spun his head towards the direction of the arrow and saw a figure on a rooftop fleeing the scene. He let out an enraged roar and breathed a river of flame out, blasting the rooftops with its intense heat. As the flames died, he saw the figure's cloak was on fire, but it leaped away and disappeared.

Natsu snarled in frustration, then staggered away from the Heartfilias and collapsed to the ground, gasping from the burning pain in his side.

The others rushed up and scanned his injuries. Erza frowned at the arrow, which was almost buried in Natsu's belly scales, and muttered, "We must pull this out."

Layla glanced at Mira and Elfman to give them instructions, "One of you must hurry to Porlysuca's cavern and tell her to get herbs ready. The other must must take our guard and search every inch of the city for the other assassin."

"No need for that."

Everyone looked up as a huge Iron Dragon flew down and landed in the square. The other assassin was trapped in his huge claws, and appeared to be unconscious. Gajeel bared his fangs in a grin, "Gee-hee. Salamander, you made a real mess."

While Mira and Elfman took off to go find Porlysuca, Gray was staring at the crushed remains of the hellhound and swallowed, "Shit man, do you always fight like that?"

"Scared?" Natsu ground out through gritted teeth as Erza gripped the arrow in her gauntleted hands, then yanked hard and pulled it out. He snarled and tensed up, then let out a long hiss of pain.

Gray rolled his eyes and muttered, "Big baby." But he nodded and seemed genuinely respectful for once.

Lisanna came over and set her hand on his jaw. She had a worried look, but smiled at him, "You saved them. Thank you."

Natsu blinked in response, still in too much pain to dare open his mouth.

"Are you all right?" Layla asked as she walked up with Lucy and Jude behind her.

The Flame Drake grunted affirmative, but hissed as Erza touched the arrow wound with her hand and brought some of his blood up to sniff.

She frowned, "I think that arrow was poisoned, but it's only enough to kill a human. You'll feel sick for a while, but you'll live."

Layla knelt down by Natsu's head and looked over the bite wound on his throat, "We must clean those wounds. Hellhounds are known for infectious bites."

Natsu lifted his head with a growl and shook himself as he stood up. Erza touched his leg and called in protest, "Natsu, stop moving! You'll spread the poison inside your body!"

"I'm fine!" he snapped, then grunted and collapsed as Gajeel slammed an iron fist into the back of his head, knocking the Flame Drake unconscious. The others stared up at Gajeel in shock.

The Iron Drake growled unsympathetically, "It's for your own good, you stupid flame."


	19. Interrogation

**Alright, another chapter! Things are about to heat up! Get ready for dragon vs dragon combat! This chapter is pretty funny in some parts, so as always, please review and thanks for reading!  
**  
Chapter 19: Interrogation 

When Natsu awoke, he was lying on something…soft. He frowned. His cave floor didn't feel this good. What was…?

Then he remembered the assassins and sat bolt-upright. As he looked around, he found himself in a human room. Natsu frowned again. He was pretty sure he'd been a dragon when he passed out.

Something was around his neck, though. Natsu looked down and saw a white scarf with scale patterns there.

"It's a magic scarf."

He glanced up to see Layla standing by the door, a relieved look on her face, "The scarf forces a dragon to turn into its human form. We couldn't move you from the square as a dragon, so we used that to turn you back into a human. You've been out for almost a full day."

Natsu rubbed his eyes and sighed, "How're the others?"

"They're fine." Layla told him, "Lucy was quite worried about you, though."

"Is that right?" Natsu snorted.

Layla nodded, "Yes. Actually, she asked to see you when she woke up. Shall I get her?"

Natsu considered, then shrugged, "Sure."

The woman dipped her head and turned to leave, then glanced over her shoulder, "And Natsu? Thank you. You saved our lives."

"Pff. My job is to protect Lucy. You just happened to be in the same place." he said pointedly, looking away from Layla.

Layla smiled knowingly and left the room.

A minute later, Lucy burst in with a gasp.

Natsu raised an eyebrow, "What are you hurrying for?"

"I had to see you!" Lucy caught her breath and slowed down, "I-I mean, I had to thank you for saving me yesterday."

He shrugged, "I was just doing my job."

"Yeah…but…" Lucy bit her lip, "You know, I thought about how I've been treating you since we met, and…I've been a real brat to you. I'm sorry about that."

Natsu was surprised, but he didn't show it. Instead, he grinned, "Well, I guess I earned it after trying to eat you."

"Let's start over." Lucy offered, holding her hand out with a smile, "Lucy Heartfilia. Pleased to meet you."

"Natsu. Promise I won't eat you." he chuckled.

Lucy laughed, then looked over the bandages on his chest and neck, "How do you feel?"

Natsu got up out of bed and ripped the bandages off, noting the scars with little interest, "I feel like I need to fly."

"You might want to meet with the others first." Lucy pointed out, "They were pretty worried."

"And I need to kick Gajeel's ass for knocking me out." Natsu growled, suddenly remembering the Iron Drake's sneak move.

/

The other dragons were more than happy to see Natsu back up to speed.

Once Natsu flew into the Thunder Hall, Erza led the rest of Fairy Tail over to him. Layla was also present.

The Blade Dragonelle let out a sigh of relief, "Good to see you back on your feet. How do you feel?"

Natsu's tail twitched slowly, "Where's Gajeel?"

"He's with Dragion. They're working at the mechanical shop." Levy told him.

"Of course he is." Natsu muttered, then stretched, "So, what's everyone been up too while I was out?"

Wendy shifted her feet, "Well…really, we were just worried about you. Erza went out a few times to check for more attackers with Gray and Gajeel, but that's it. It's only been a day, Natsu."

In the back, Lisanna was keeping quiet, but the blue eyes sent him a silent message: I'm glad you're okay.

At that moment, Gajeel flew in and landed with a loud snort, "So, the sleeping beauty finally wakes up, eh?"

Natsu spun and growled, "I ought to rip that smug look right off your face. What the hell did you knock me out for?!"

Gajeel shrugged, "You're too stubborn for your own good, flame-brain. You would've bled out before you accepted any help, you know that."

"It's none of your business." Natsu snapped.

"You were a part of my team for seven years, punk." Gajeel snarled, "That makes it my business. Excuse me if I don't want one of my comrades to bite the dust just yet."

"Aww." Levy hummed with laughter, "You two are like brothers."

Natsu and Gajeel instantly bristled, "LIKE HELL!"

Erza coughed and spoke up before the two drakes could kill each other, "So now that everyone's alive and well, shall we get down to business? Those two assassins haven't said a word since Natsu and Gajeel captured them. Even Layla hasn't gotten through to them."

"What?" Natsu asked.

Layla frowned, "I'm not all-powerful, Natsu. There are some people who, if trained correctly, can resist Soul Searching. I can't go through their memories."

"So how do we get them to talk?" Levy asked.

Gajeel glanced at Natsu, "Hey, flamer. Whaddya say we go have a talk with these guys?"

Natsu grinned, all conflict forgotten, "Nice idea."

The other dragons looked between the two, confused.

/\/\/\/\/\

After turning back to humans, Natsu and Gajeel were led to where the assassins where being held. It was a guarded building, and the two men were tied up and in solitary confinement.

Erza stopped the two drakes before letting them in, "You've got ten minutes tops. Any longer and we risk them escaping somehow."

"Three max is all we'll need." Gajeel said confidently, before he and Natsu walked into the room to confront the assassins, who were now unbound. The door behind them was closed and locked.

A large window allowed the others to watch the interrogation.

Lucy glanced at Wendy, "What are they going to do?"

"Um…I'm pretty sure you'll see in a second." the little girl replied with a sigh, "But they'll do what they're best at."

"Meaning what?" Lisanna asked.

/

Natsu and Gajeel faced the two assassins, who gazed back coldly.

The Iron Drake crossed his arms, "Alright, bitches, who're you working for?"

The first assassin, the one who was bandaged from being bitten by Natsu, got up in his face and spat, "We're professionals. We don't talk."

Gajeel wiped the saliva off his face and exchanged a dangerous grin with Natsu before looking back to the assassin, "Oh, I hoped you'd say that."

The two men blinked, confused, before Gajeel grabbed the first and punched him in the face. At the same time, Natsu picked up the second by the collar and rammed him into the wall behind.

/

Lucy's jaw dropped as she watched the drakes begin, 'interrogating' the assassins, "Is that even legal?"

"No, it is not." Erza sighed.

/

Gajeel started kicking the first assassin, who was curled up on the ground. Eventually, he got bored with that and grabbed the man's face, then slammed his head repeatedly against the floor.

Meanwhile, Natsu threw the second straight up and crashed him against the ceiling. As the man fell, the Flame Drake brought his knee up between the shoulder blades, and a loud popping sound was heard from the assassin's back.

/

"But I don't think I'm going to go in there and tell them that." Erza added.

"That's what they're best at." Wendy said cheerfully, although she sweat-dropped at the same time.

The others were, to say the least, stunned.

/

The first assassin spat blood on the floor and glared up at Gajeel, "We've got rights, you bastards!"

Gajeel bared his fangs in a sneer, "Not anymore, you piece of shit."

Natsu threw the second with a roar, cracking the glass the outside onlookers were peering through.

The two drakes started moving towards the assassins again, but the men waved their hands frantically, "N-no more! Please!"

"Who are you working for?!" Natsu snarled.

The second man unwisely gulped, "W-well, that's- we can't-"

"I don't like the word, 'Can't'!" Natsu grabbed the man and flipped him, then crushed him into the ground.

The first was smarter, "O-okay, w-we'll talk!"

"Damn right, you will!" Gajeel picked him up by the collar and held him midair, baring sharp fangs in his face, "Spill your guts or I'll spill 'em for you. With one of those pretty little knives you had. I think there was one I didn't already eat."

The man stammered, "J-Jose Porla! He's the guy you want! H-he runs a military unit for the D-dragon Slavers called Phantom L-lord! S-seriously, we were just hired! We don't know anything else!"

"Really?" Natsu demanded, flashing a lethal glare at the second, who cringed and looked away. The Flame Drake punched him again and spat, "Your friend seems to know something else. Tell me right now, or I'll bite you in half for real!"

The assassin blanched and choked, "J-Jose said…he said if we didn't report back-if we failed, he was gonna raid the city…"

Natsu heard him trail off and instantly swung another fist, snarling angrily, "I didn't tell you to stop talking!"

"H-he said he'd bring an attack force after 36 hours! That's all I know! P-please don't eat me!" the man looked like he was going to wet himself.

Gajeel grunted and Natsu dropped the guy, but the Iron Drake pinned the assassins with deadly red eyes, "If you two are lying about any of this, I'm gonna come back here and skin you alive. Got it?"

The assassins bobbed their heads repeatedly in understanding.

Natsu grinned, "Thanks for your time."

/

The two drakes walked out of the room, then found the others staring at them with wide eyes.

Gajeel looked from face to face and shrugged, "What? You said nothing else worked."

"You two just beat the living shit out of trained killers." Elfman managed.

"So? If we ate them, they couldn't talk." Natsu pointed out.

Everyone in the room sweat-dropped at the Flame Drake's logic.

Erza recovered first, "Alright, well the important thing is the information Natsu and Gajeel…beat…out of them. So now we know who's attacking and that they'll be attacking our city in less than twelve hours. That means we need to get ready for battle."

"Juvia knows Jose."

For the first time, Juvia spoke up. The Water Dragonelle looked very uncomfortable talking, but her speech had gotten better with some practice, even if she continued talking in third-person.

Erza offered an encouraging look, "Go on, Juvia."

"J-Jose is a Sorcerer." she said, "He uses Dark Magic. J-Juvia knows he uses it to control dragons. He has three others like Juvia. They'll attack the city."

Mira frowned, "Just three?"

"They're probably trained war dragons." Layla mused, "And if Jose is a Sorcerer, then he can bolster their power. Even just three enhanced dragons can be dangerous. We'll have to defend carefully."

"Hold on." Gajeel interrupted, "Suppose we kill the guy. Then the dragons he sends won't be enhanced anymore, right?"

Layla frowned, "In theory…but I can't say I've ever tried it personally."

"So that's it." Natsu decided, "We find Jose, we kill him, and we take down the three dragons he's got. It's that simple."

/\/\/\/\/\

Natsu spent a few hours or so after the interrogation flying in the skies above and around Magnolia. It was easiest there for him to think, and focus his mind for combat.

Of course, it was also one of the few places he could talk to another dragon in private.

After a couple hours, a white flash caught his eye and Natsu looked up to see Lisanna flying above him. The dragonelle nodded towards the mountaintop above the Thunder Hall, to which Natsu flew in the direction indicated.

The mountaintop hid a small inlet where it was difficult to be seen, unless someone flew overhead.

Not bad, Natsu thought admiringly.

Lisanna landed first and shifted into her human form. Natsu mirrored her and faced the girl for a few moments. The silence between them was…awkward.

"…So, you're going to fight?" she finally asked.

"Yeah." he answered, "It's just something I gotta do."

Lisanna bit her lip, "You could get hurt. We've never fought a Sorcerer before. It's going to be dangerous."

Natsu grinned, "I raided your territory for seven years and you're worried about me being in danger?"

"You were hurt by the assassins the other day." she pointed out.

He shrugged, "It was just a scratch. I would've been fine, but Gajeel likes to do things his way. It's his fault for making such a big deal about it."

"Do you have to fight?" Lisanna asked, "Is that all you've ever done?"

Natsu fixed her with a serious look, "Fighting is what I do. It's kept me alive all these years. Heck, it's probably why Makarov let me stay in the first place. If he knew the fight was coming to you guys, he probably guessed you'd need some extra help."

Lisanna watched him closely, "There's more to life than just fighting, Natsu. Don't you know that?"

He chewed his lip thoughtfully for a moment, trying to figure out how to reply. Natsu finally shook his head, "I guess…It's more like I know of that. I've just never had a chance to know anything else since my parents died. After that, it was just one battle after another."

She nodded slightly, as though confirming something. Lisanna looked back up and met the dark eyes with ease, "You never answered me the other night. What'd you tell Lucy?"

Natsu didn't look away as he replied, "I told her if I wanted to care about you, then I would."

Lisanna held his gaze, then looked away. She bit her lip, "Natsu, you know how the Thunders are. This can't happen- us."

"You know what else I told Lucy?" he added.

She tilted her head curiously, "What?"

"Rules are just a suggestion." Natsu murmured.

Lisanna stared at him, then a small smile found its way onto her face. She walked up to Natsu and took his hands. They were rough, just like she'd thought, but also gentle. Lisanna leaned up a little and whispered close to his face, "You know, Natsu, you're a pretty good sweet talker."

Natsu wasn't uncomfortable with their proximity, he just wasn't sure what to do. He had no idea how humans did that kissing thing, but…

"But,"

Before he could lean in, Lisanna put a finger over his lips and smiled mischievously, "You're not quite good enough. Not yet."

She gave him a quick hug instead and walked away a ways before turning back into a dragon, then flying off into the darkening sky.

Natsu rolled his eyes and grinned widely, "Cheeky little tigress."


	20. Phantom Strike

**The fighting begins! I'm still experimenting with my ideas on dragon combat, so tell me what you think! Is there anything I should add?**

 **As always, please review and thanks for reading!  
**

Chapter 20: Phantom Strike

The whole city of Magnolia was in complete silence, waiting for a storm they knew was coming to break.

Dragons were patrolling the walls and surrounding areas, scanning the horizons for any sign of attackers. Humans stood guard alongside them, but so far, nothing had disturbed the city even though it had been about 36 hours since the assassins had been defeated. Makarov and Layla were at the center of the city, planning their method of defense.

One dragon was missing from the rest: Natsu.

On the walls, Lucy frowned, "Where is he?"

"Isn't he supposed to be your bodyguard?" Levy, currently a dragon, asked.

Lucy nodded, "Yeah, but I haven't seen him for a while now…you don't think he was captured, do you?"

Lisanna shook her head, "No. We would know if someone tried to attack Natsu. Remember how loud he can roar?"

"But suppose they caught him as a human…" the blonde girl sighed, "I just wish we knew where he was…We're about to fight, and he hasn't even shown up."

Lisanna said nothing, but stared at the sun, which was about an hour or so away from setting. Natsu…where are you?

/

Above the city, three dragons hovered.

One was made of flames that constantly shifted color, another consisted of earth, and the third had a body of twisting wind. All three were males- drakes.

A man in black robes stood atop the Earth Drake and flicked his hand in a signal, "First, Layla and Makarov. Aria, Totomaru…"

The Air Drake and Blaze Drake dove down silently, having been poised directly over their targets already. Just a few meters above their prey, they still evaded detection and now prepared to go for a lethal strike.

"OOOHHHHHH!"

Totomaru yelped as something grabbed his incarnate body, then threw him aside with a mighty roar.

Aria was already on top of Makarov, but a blast of fire made him change coarse and miss the fatal zone on the old drake he'd been aiming for. As it was, Makarov bellowed in pain and staggered as Aria's slicing body of wind crashed into him and did severe damage.

Layla gasped, "Makarov!"

The old dragon groaned and collapsed, reverting to his human form in order to avoid crushing buildings. Now a small old man, he clutched at a wound on his back, gritting his teeth in pain.

Natsu spat another fireball and forced the Air Drake to retreat, before snarling at Totomaru when he tried to attack Layla again. The two enemy drakes hesitated and hissed at Natsu as he growled back, "Yeah, I had a feeling you'd hit us from above! You didn't even see me camped out on the mountaintop, did you?!"

For once, Acnologia's attack actually came in handy, Natsu thought, relieved that he'd stopped the two drakes in time.

/

Above, the black-robed man atop the Earth Drake sneered, "Caught, eh? No matter." He raised his hands and bellowed out, "Come to me, phantom ghouls of the nether world! Lay waste to this city and every living thing!"

A black and violet portal opened up above him, then a mass of reaper-like creatures poured out, flooding the skies above Magnolia.

/

The other dragons had heard the roars of fighting and froze when they realized the attack was from above, not from around. And now, demons of some kind were coming down in mass numbers.

Erza snapped quickly, "Guards, protect the streets! Dragons, up! Engage the enemy!"

Dragon roars echoed around the city, then the sound of many beating wings took to seem like a thunderstorm.

Fairy Tail was a, 'Thunder' after all.

/

Natsu spat another fireball at Aria, but the Air Drake came around and slashed at him with claws of blade-like wind. The Fire Drake snarled and snapped, but Aria's body was impossible for him to grab.

He could, however, tear at Totomaru's body of flame.

When the Blaze Drake attempted to kill Layla again, Natsu's jaws clamped around the back of Totomaru's neck and tossed him aside again. Then Natsu lunged and slashed with his claws, opening a wound in the Blaze Drake's side that poured out liquid fire.

Totomaru roared in pain and retreated a ways.

Layla called up, "Natsu! Come down here!"

"If I do that, they'll get the height advantage and we'll get killed!" he snapped.

"No! Makarov must be taken from here! And I have to get up there to fight Jose! Let me ride you up!" she pleaded.

Natsu flashed a glance down at the Spirit Priestess, then growled, "Oh, for the love of…get ready to jump!"

He roared and unleashed a rippling torrent of fire, using the great blaze to make Aria and Totomaru hesitate in their attack. Natsu then spun and dove down, hovering just slightly over the city as he used one hand to pick up Makarov. He dipped his head at the same time, allowing Layla to jump on and climb down to the base of his neck.

Natsu took off immediately once he had them, shooting skyward once more. Totomaru and Aria lunged after him, flying at incredible speeds to catch up.

Layla called above the roaring wind, "Natsu, we must find someplace safe for Makarov!"

The Flame Drake glanced over his shoulder. Totomaru was keeping pace with him, but Aria was catching up. The Air Drake was faster than he'd first thought.

Suddenly, there was a sapphire blur, and Wendy tackled Aria out of the sky with a shrieking roar. The Air Drake was stunned by the force and fact that someone had actually managed to touch his body without being torn apart, and despite Wendy's smaller size, she managed to force him off of Natsu's trail.

Natsu was grateful, but he hoped someone would hurry and help her. Wendy wasn't nearly large enough to take down a drake of Aria's size, even if she was the only one- a Sky Dragon- who could wound him.

The Thunder Hall was dead ahead, with Porlysuca standing in the entrance. Natsu swept up and dropped Makarov, watching as the Herb Dragonelle caught the little old man and quickly took him inside.

Layla nodded, "Take us up! I have to close that portal!"

A fireball shot right by Natsu's face from behind, making him snarl, "Give me a minute, you crazy human!"

He flipped midair so he was facing the oncoming Totomaru. The Blaze Drake let loose another blast of fire, while Natsu countered with his own breath of flame.

The sound of two fire dragons colliding roared out across the city as a massive explosion ripped through the air. Around them, some of the Phantoms shrieked and vanished from the shockwave, and some dragons fell out of the air, stunned, before recovering and ascending again.

The Flame Drake faced his enemy and roared a challenge. The Blaze Drake replied with his own furious caterwaul. Layla sat in the base of Natsu's neck easily, but her gaze was focused on Jose and the Earth Drake.

Natsu bared his fangs in a fierce grin, able to hear the blood roar in his ears as he hissed, "I'm all fired up…!"

/

Jose looked down on the battle and narrowed his eyes. He was unfamiliar with the Flame and Sky dragons who had engaged Totomaru and Aria. This was an unexpected bump in the road. He could also see Juvia, and noted to capture the Water Dragonelle before he left.

In fact, he was about to command Sol to dive at her when a huge Iron Drake flew up and glared at him with menacing red eyes.

Jose smirked, "Well, what do we have here?"

"You're Jose?" the dragon demanded.

"Indeed I am." the Dark Mage confirmed with an evil smile.

Gajeel curled his lip in a sneer, "Then get ready to die!"

He roared and unleashed a blast of metal shards from his jaws, which caught Sol in the side and made the Earth Drake shriek in pain. Chunks of earth fell from his body, but Gajeel was just getting warmed up.

The Iron Drake rammed Sol with incredible force, bringing back a huge, metal fist to punch the Earth Drake in the jaw. Gajeel clamped his jaws down on Sol's wing and dragged him down from the air with his body weight.

Jose held on tightly and waved a hand, "Phantoms- kill him!"

The Phantoms attacked Gajeel in mass numbers, but all their black magic attacks simply bounced off the Iron Drake's toughened scales.

Gajeel cackled as they continued to fall, "Gee-hee! Is that all ya got, ya shitty human?!"

Sol screeched as Gajeel crushed him into a building, devastating the area around them before the Earth Drake was slammed to the ground with enough force to form a crater.

The Iron Drake skidded away on all fours and roared, firing his breath attack and again smote Sol in the side with the iron blade breath.

Now on the ground, Sol melted into the earth and suddenly appeared from below, catching Gajeel in the stomach with a fierce strike.

"Oof!" Gajeel wheezed as the attack knocked the wind out of him and staggered back.

Jose smirked, but it was short-lived as he realized Sol had only scratched the Iron Drake's scales.

Gajeel, meanwhile, recovered and bared his fangs in a killer grin, "Ho…you actually did a little damage…Gee-hee…"

Jose's grin returned, "Hmm…What a feisty enemy…"

/

Wendy hadn't been able to pin Aria down for long. Almost instantly after she forced him off of Natsu's trail, the Air Drake had shaken her off and started attacking the smaller Sky Dragonelle. She had darted off with him in pursuit, using her smaller size to fly just fast enough to stay ahead.

But she couldn't keep that speed up for long. Even now, she was getting tired, unused to such a high-speed pursuit. Aria was still on her, and in an act of last resort, Wendy spun midair and unleashed a breath attack which took the form of a spiraling tornado.

The blast of wind was enough to make Aria stagger midair, but he soon roared his fury and lunged at her. Wendy quickly shifted to the side and avoided the slicing wind body, but the Air Drake wheeled around and got ready for another attack.

Wendy released another tornado, but this time, Aria ignored the damage it caused and rushed right through to ram the smaller dragonelle head-on.

She gasped and cried out as the Air Drake's wind body sliced at her scales, causing her to fall out of the sky.

Something beneath her stopped the Sky Dragonelle's fall and allowed her to regain her aerial balance.

Lisanna flew up to Wendy's side, glaring at Aria with a hiss, "We'll take him together."

"Okay…" Wendy swallowed and caught her breath as the two dragonelles faced off against the Air Drake.

But Aria was fast.

The Air Drake lunged at them with a hiss, aiming for Wendy despite Lisanna clearly being the more powerful opponent.

Wendy was still tired and was unprepared for the sudden blitz move, which caused her to flinch and freeze up. Aria was moments away from crashing into her when Lisanna blocked his path with her body and let out a powerful roar. Her breath attack made the Air Drake stagger slightly, but he kept coming and slammed into the Tigress Dragonelle with his sharp air body, slashing a deep wound in her side.

Lisanna gasped as the strike blew her out of the sky and into a building on the ground. She got back up unsteadily, her feet shaking from the pain and shock.

Wendy came down with a scared look, "Are you okay?!"

"I-I'm fine." Lisanna managed, then noticed Aria coming at them again.

She and Wendy had time to brace themselves before the Air Drake unleashed a slicing blast of wind from his jaws that generated a significant explosion.

/

"Grah!" Totomaru screeched as Natsu's jaws tore a new wound in his leg. The Blaze Drake had never been wounded like this and hissed, "How can you do this?!"

"I'm a Flame Dragon, that's why!" Natsu spat and slammed into Totomaru again, making him stagger in midair.

Layla was getting worried about the situation in the city and called, "Natsu, get us to the portal! I have to keep more of the Phantoms from getting through!"

Natsu had also noticed that the Phantoms were still coming through, but hadn't thought much of it. To a dragon, they were weak, and hardly worth the effort of fighting. But even he had to admit they were getting to be a little too large in number for his liking.

He flapped his wings quickly and shot skyward towards the portal, but Totomaru hadn't given up yet. The Blaze Drake spat a fireball that caught Natsu's stomach, and even though it did little actual damage, it hurt enough to make him snarl.

Natsu hissed to Layla, "You might want to hold on for this."

He dropped out of the sky.

Totomaru wasn't expecting the daredevil move and froze briefly, but then Natsu's jaws crunched down on his wing and ripped back, causing severe pain and real damage. The Blaze Drake shrieked and dropped out of the sky, but didn't pull up and crashed into the city below. That said, he wasn't beat, as Totomaru got back up and roared furiously up at the Flame Drake.

Natsu snorted and flew skyward again, blasting clumps of Phantoms that got in his way to smithereens.

Once they were close, Layla held out a hand and shouted, "O' spirits of the stars who guide my path, lend me the power to seal this evil!"

A gold light emanated from her hand, from which an entity in the form of a goat-like man emerged. The goat noted the portal and nodded to Layla, then shot up and touched it, causing gold light to pour over the sky and bathe the Phantoms in its warm glow.

Every single demon shrieked in pain and vanished, then the portal flickered and closed off. The goat-man bowed and vanished in a burst of gold light.

Layla almost collapsed on Natsu's back, her chest heaving.

The Flame Drake glanced over his shoulder, "What? What happened?"

"Sorry…It's just…the power Capricorn used comes from my body…" Layla gulped in air and gasped, "I-I didn't expect the strain to be so much…I may have overdone it…"

Natsu snorted, "You'll live. Now it's just Jose and those three dragons…"

"Not quite."

The Flame Drake stiffened at the voice, then spun around to see Jose standing atop of…

His eyes widened, "Gajeel?!"

The Iron Drake stared back, but his eyes were empty and unfocused, as if he couldn't see Natsu at all.

Jose's grin had an evil glee to it, "This one is substantially powerful. I may have lost this time, but..the prize was more than worth it. I have also reclaimed Juvia, you might know."

At his word, the Water Dragonelle hovered up with that same dead look in her eyes. Aria, Totomaru, and Sol joined them.

Natsu stared in disbelief at his comrade, "What did you do?!"

"It's dark magic, Natsu." Layla glared at Jose, "He's controlling their minds with an evil spell. They aren't doing this of their own free will."

Jose smirked, "Perhaps, but they make excellent pawns. It's been years since I last stumbled across a drake with as much potential as this one." He knelt and touched Gajeel's head, making the Iron Drake blink. The Dark Mage patted him like a dog and sneered, "He'll be a perfect war machine for my next assault on this city."

Natsu bristled in rage, "Let them go!" He lunged at Jose with his fangs bared, ready to skewer the man to death.

Jose's eyes gleamed, "And you, as well, will be a perfect tool…!"

Before Natsu could sink his fangs into Jose's flesh, the man held up a hand and released a dark aura from it. The aura made Natsu freeze and gasp, feeling for the very first time a sensation he'd only heard of:

Cold.

It felt as though Jose were freezing his mind and body with evil. It almost buried him, but then a gold light surged up and blanketed Natsu with warmth. He quickly retreated from Jose with a hiss, realizing now that this human was far more dangerous than he'd first assumed.

Layla was panting, "Natsu, I can't do that twice…I've used up too much of my power already…"

Jose smirked, "Well, even if I can't take you this time, fire dragon, I'll get you the next time I come here. Until then, farewell…"

He flicked his hand, then Gajeel turned and flew off with the other four dragons behind him.

Natsu roared after them in fury, but he didn't dare pursue such a powerful enemy alone.

/

When Natsu landed, Lucy was waiting with the other dragons. He picked up Layla gently with his tail and brought her safely to earth, where guards escorted her to a medical zone.

Lucy walked up to Natsu and frowned, "You need to go up to the Thunder Hall."

Natsu snorted rebelliously, "Why? I'm not hurt."

"Wendy and Lisanna were hurt in the fighting. Porlysuca's with them." she said quietly.

The Flame Drake took off without another word.

/

He found them lying in nests in the cavern beside Porlysuca's den, surrounded by other dragons who had shifted to their human forms. Wendy and Lisanna had both been given contact with the magic scarf that forced a dragon to change so they could be moved easier. Now as humans, it was easier to treat their wounds.

Wendy was cut in several places, but looked alright other than that. She was asleep, her eyes flickering as though she were having a bad dream.

Lisanna was another matter entirely. Natsu stood frozen beside her nest as he saw a cloth wrapped around her side become soaked in red. A sniff told him the wound was deep, and that she wasn't doing well. Her breathing was light and fast, her face pale, and a sheen of sweat covered her skin.

"What the hell happened?" Natsu choked out.

"It was that Air Drake." Mira said quietly, but her eyes were alight with fear for her sister, "He took them down and kept beating them until the Phantoms disappeared."

Erza had her fists clenched and looked absolutely furious, "That bastard…he's the one who took down Makarov as well…If I get my claws on him, I'll…!"

"He is not in control of his actions." Porlysuca scolded, "This is on Jose. Humans are the main cause of strife in this world. Sometimes I wonder if we've chosen correctly to live near them."

Natsu just stared at the two hurt dragonelles with wide eyes. A pit of rage was building in his stomach, and he didn't dare take his eyes off of Wendy and Lisanna lest he go after Jose to rip him limb from limb.

Why are we staying with humans if they continue to hurt us?!


	21. Natsu's Animosity

Chapter 21: Natsu's Animosity 

The Thunder Hall was quiet for once. 

Porlysuca had reverted to a human and was working swiftly to put herbal formulas together. Wendy was in the clear, and though Makarov was still damaged, he was slowly recovering. However, Lisanna was an entirely different matter. The old healer had been working on the dragonelle's wounds for several hours. For the time being, it didn't look good. The gash in her side was deep, and not healing as well as Porlysuca would have liked.

Mirajane and Elfman had remained by their sister's side, but the others were told to leave them be. Erza organized a few groups to patrol the city borders and make sure the Phantom Dragons didn't come back. Others were sent to repair damages to buildings and make sure the citizens were okay.

Natsu, meanwhile, kept away from the humans.

He had stayed in his cave for hours until Erza finally got tired of him, "Lazing around" and sent Jet in with the order of convincing Natsu to get up and help out.

After just thirty seconds of entering his cave, Jet raced out, a blaze of fire and a furious roar behind him.

Erza stalked over with her eyes narrowing dangerously, "What was that?"

"I-I just walked in and told him what you said…" Jet started, "He told me to go away, but when I tried to convince him otherwise, well…" He gestured to the burn marks on the floor, "You get the idea."

"Damn that drake." Erza shook her head, "Fine. I'll go talk to him. Go help out the others in the city."

While Jet left, Erza slowly padded into Natsu's cave. The scent of smoke in the air made her nose twitch, but she did her best to ignore it and found the Flame Drake curled up on the ground, his back to her.

"Natsu, get up." Erza told him.

"That's a bad idea." he replied.

The Blade Dragonelle's tail twitched, "How so?"

Natsu lifted his head and looked at her with one eye open, "If you put me with any human right now, I can't promise I won't just kill them."

"Oh, not this again." Erza sighed, "Natsu, it was Jose alone. He did this, not the other humans. Why can't you see that?"

"What did they do for us during the battle?" Natsu demanded, "I saw dragons fighting Jose, not humans." He sneered at the word, "Other than getting scared, I doubt a single one of them was hurt in any way. They did nothing, so why should I help them now?"

"That's not fair." Erza protested, "Layla fought with you against Jose, and not just any human can fight against dragons. You know that."

Natsu snorted, "Layla just made the ghosts disappear. It's not like they were a real threat anyway. We could've easily killed them all without her help. The other humans didn't even fight the phantoms! If they want to fix their city, they can do it themselves. Especially since Lisanna, Wendy, and Makarov are hurt."

Erza frowned, "Natsu, just hiding in your cave isn't going to make them better, nor will it help us protect Magnolia from Jose's next attack."

"Then let me do something about it." Natsu got up and looked her dead in the eye, "Send me after Jose and let me kill the bastard before he can do anything else."

Erza shook her head, "You know I can't do that. Gajeel and Juvia have already been taken; I can't risk you being controlled as well. Think of how much more damage Jose could cause with you under his control. You could burn Magnolia and its inhabitants to the ground."

Natsu growled irritably and moved to lie down again, but Erza stopped him, "I want you to go check on Layla. I haven't heard anything about her condition since the battle ended."

The Flame Drake offered a glare, but growled and stalked past her.

Erza waited for him to go, then sighed. It's for your own good, you reckless fireball.

/

Natsu humanized (Albeit, reluctantly) and walked straight into the Heartfilia mansion without even casting a glance at the guards. He stomped through the halls to where Layla's scent was freshest at the largest bedroom in the building.

The Spirit Priestess was sitting up in her bed, first staring out the window, but she looked at Natsu as he walked in. Layla offered a smile, "Hello."

"Hey." Natsu grunted, "You doing okay?"

She nodded, "I'm recovering, but not as fast as I'd hoped. It'll be some time yet before I completely regain my strength."

Natsu shrugged and turned to leave, "Bad luck. Well, if you're fine, then I'll be on my way."

"Natsu, stop."

He paused halfway and glanced back, where Layla was giving him a searching look, "What's bothering you?"

"…" Natsu looked away to the window, "That should be obvious. Can't you read my thoughts?"

"Not unless I have physical contact with you." she pointed out, "But…can I assume you're worried about Gajeel? I would also guess that Wendy and Lisanna are on your mind as well."

He shrugged again, "Gajeel's tough. He can take care of himself. Wendy's doing alright, but…"

"I heard that Lisanna's condition isn't as good." Layla murmured, "Is that what's bothering you?"

"It's none of your business." Natsu growled, "What frustrates me is that Erza won't let me go out and kill Jose."

Layla's eyes narrowed, "It's not that simple and you know it. You can't just kill Jose like you kill prey, Natsu. We need a strategy for that-"

"Screw strategy!" he snapped, "I've gotten along well enough without human strategies so far! All those plans have done so far is get dragons hurt! I'll deal with it my way."

She frowned at him, "Natsu…"

Natsu ignored her and walked out of the room.

/

Before he was able to leave the mansion, Natsu ran into Lucy at the mansion entrance. But instead of stopping to talk with her, he just strode for the door.

The blonde girl called after him, "Natsu! Hold on!"

"How do you know I'm not that kid, Dragion?" he growled.

"Because Dragion doesn't talk rude like that." Lucy pointed out with a frown, "What's wrong? I haven't seen anything of you since the fight ended…"

Natsu kept walking, "Just leave me alone."

Lucy stared after him for a bit, confusion running through her. What's wrong with him?

"Miss Lucy?"

One of the maids walked into the room and spotted her, "Your mother would like to speak with you."

/

"Lucy, have you spoken with Natsu since the battle ended?" Layla asked.

"I just talked to him when he left the house, but…" Lucy looked out the window where she could see a crimson dragon flying overhead, undoubtably Natsu, "He seems angry and distant. I thought things were starting to work out for us, but now it's just like when he first came here."

Layla nodded, "Natsu is losing what little faith he has in humanity. Jose's attack didn't just wound his comrades, it wounded his trust in us. We have to somehow restore that."

"How?" Lucy crossed her arms, "Mom, he's as bad as he was before, maybe worse. Even if you connect to his spirit again and find out what the problem is, I don't think he's going to listen to us as easily as before."

"This couldn't have happened at a worse time, either." Layla sighed, "Jose took Gajeel and Juvia with him. Both of them are strong, especially Gajeel, but if Jose were to somehow take Natsu as well…" She clasped her hands together, "In the state he is in, Makarov can't battle. Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe are out somewhere in the territory and unaware of our situation. There just a few powerful dragons in Magnolia who can counter Jose's next attack, and I'm certain Natsu is at the epicenter of that core group."

Lucy tapped her foot nervously, "So, if Jose takes Natsu, we're done for?"

"It won't help our odds, that's for sure." Layla remarked, "As far as I can tell, Natsu's fighting style is almost identical to Igneel's. If he were taken by Jose and rampaged through the city…he'd burn everything to the ground."

Her eyes sparked with the light of a memory as she murmured, "Dragon fire is a devastating magic..."

"I agree, but why are you telling me this?" Lucy asked, "I doubt he's going to listen to me, so shouldn't you tell Erza or another dragon?"

Layla watched the red dragon flying in the sky outside her window, "I suspect that soon, probably either later today or tomorrow, Natsu's going to go after Jose."

Lucy's mouth fell open, "But that's crazy!"

"He'll do it anyway." her mother said gravely, "Natsu's animosity towards humanity is at a critical point. If something goes wrong again, he'll never trust another human as long as he lives. We cannot allow that to happen, for Igneel's sake. But I don't have the strength right now to do anything that could help him. It's going to have to be you. You'll have to stop Natsu."

"What do I have to do?" she asked.

Layla was silent for a time, apparently deep in thought before she clasped her hands and gave her daughter a serious look, "I think you'll have to form a Soul Link with him."

Lucy stared at her.

"WHAT?!"

"M-mom! I-I can't do that!" Lucy protested, "I can barely manage a temporary link, forget a permanent one! And against a dragon like Natsu?! He'd crush me!"

Layla got out of her bed, wavering slightly from her weakened body. Lucy went over and made her sit down again, but Layla clasped her daughter's hands.

"You are strong enough to perform the Link." she encouraged, "And it's something Natsu sorely needs. I know it."

Lucy frowned, "Can't you do it?"

Layla shook her head, "I already formed my Soul Link with Igneel. Even with his death, I cannot do it again. Moreover, I think it's best for you two to possess the Link. You're both part of the new generation."

Lucy rubbed her arms nervously, "It's a huge risk…Dragon souls are so much more powerful than a human's..."

"I know." her mother said seriously, "I don't suggest it lightly; Natsu is very much like his father, and that means he will not make it easy for you. It'll be very dangerous, but if you succeed, it could be enough to keep Natsu with us and help overpower Jose. However, the decision is yours."

The younger woman nodded, then turned and left Layla to rest.

Lucy walked through the halls of her home, deep in thought. A Soul Link…am I really ready for that?

/\/\/\/\/\

Natsu flew in the skies above Magnolia for hours, occasionally spitting a small fireball and watching it dissipate. He was too restless to think calmly, and his tail would lash from side to side with anger.

Eventually, he finished sulking and returned to the Thunder Hall, where Erza was talking to Gray about defensive measures.

Erza cast an expectant look at him, but Natsu ignored the other two dragons and just stalked by. The Blade Dragonelle shook her head in exasperation as he walked by and returned her attention to Gray.

He finally came to a stop just inside Porlysuca's cave, peering in to study the sleeping figure of Lisanna between her older siblings. She was back to her dragon form, but didn't look like she was feeling much better. Natsu's eyes narrowed at the bandages with drying red stains on her side.

Natsu snorted and turned to leave, seeing as Porlysuca was nowhere to be found and couldn't tell him if the injured dragonelle was actually recovering. Before he could leave though, a slight murmur stopped him.

"Natsu…wait." Lisanna opened her eyes blearily and stared at him.

The Flame Drake glanced at her over his shoulder, "Go back to sleep. You need rest."

"Stop."

A little strength returned to her voice as she tried to stand up. Natsu whipped around and padded over, gently pushing her back down.

"You'll just reopen your wound if you move." he snapped.

"Why are you so upset?" she asked. "Your scent has so much agitation in it…"

Natsu growled, "Leave it alone, alright?"

"No." Lisanna said stubbornly, "Tell me what's bothering you."

"…"

He was silent for a while before muttering, "Why do you trust the humans?"

"Because most of them have a good heart." she answered, "I know there are bad humans out there too, but aren't there bad dragons as well? Neither one of our kinds are completely pure. There's always a darkness on either side."

An image of Acnologia ran through Natsu's mind as she said that. He shook himself and gritted his teeth. "I'm not sure I can trust them. Not completely."

"Is this because of how your mother was killed? And how Gajeel, Wendy, and I were hurt?" Lisanna asked.

Natsu's wings ruffled uneasily, "…It doesn't improve my opinion of them."

Lisanna watched him with bright blue eyes. She lay her head down again and murmured, "Don't do anything crazy, Natsu. We need you..."

/

The Flame Drake waited for her to fall asleep before he turned and walked out of Porlysuca's cave, heading to his own cavern to rest until nightfall.

He trudged into his nest and tapped the stone button in the wall with his tail, making the mountain shift to reveal a huge glass window overlooking Magnolia. Natsu lay down and stared at the city, watching humans walk through the streets in the fading sunlight. His dark eyes narrowed to slits and sharp fangs bared slightly.

Humans…how can the life of something as powerful as a dragon be torn away by such small and insignificant creatures? Why do they kill so eagerly? I've only ever known one truly evil dragon…but it seems like there are countless humans that have evil inside of them. Dragon Slavers…Sorcerers…

Natsu's tail tip twitched and his wings ruffled restlessly. He set his head down and closed his eyes, but did not fall asleep.

Humans...

I have had enough of them all.

/\/\/\/\/\

Lucy sat up in her bed. Even though it was well past midnight, she couldn't fall asleep. Her mother's words were still on her mind.

Natsu WILL try to go after Jose. It's inevitable. And if something goes wrong…he'll lose all faith in humanity. He won't ever trust us again.

She looked through her window up at the mountainside to the Thunder Hall. Lucy knew that inside one of the caves within that huge mass of stone was Natsu. Who knew what was going through his head right then.

Lucy knew he was strong. She recognized that he wasn't as bad as she had first thought, and even admired him for it. But no amount of admiration would save the budding friendship she had with the young Fire Drake if he turned his back completely on humanity. Natsu would never be able to acknowledge her if that happened. Not as a real friend would.

"I guess…I don't have a choice…" she whispered to herself.

She tossed the blankets off of her and got up to get dressed.

/

Lucy quietly tiptoed through the house. Hopefully, everyone would be asleep and she could sneak out to the Thunder Hall without incident.

She scribbled down a note to leave by the door, then slipped outside and ran down the street towards the Fairy Tail Thunder Hall. The sky was pitch-black, but the faint glow of lights from inside the dragon's home guided her.

She made it to the base of the mountain path that led up to the Hall. Lucy knew there was no way she could wake up the other dragons to simply fly her up. She couldn't afford to alert Natsu to her presence. If he found out what she was about to do…

Lucy shuddered at the thought. He'd bite me in half, for sure. I can't screw this up…I must succeed…

The Hall was very high up the mountain. It would take a while to get to the top, but Lucy ran up the path as fast as she could, regardless. She couldn't be too late. She couldn't afford it.

/\/\/\/\/\

Natsu awoke to the briefest flash of light signaling the dawn of a new day. He lifted his head, noticing that it was still mostly black outside. The sun had just peeked over the horizon.

I'll leave now. While the others are still asleep.

His decision made, Natsu silently got on his feet and stalked out of his cave to the main hall. He sniffed the air, making sure no one else was awake. Once he was certain the coast was clear, the Fire Drake headed for the exit, intent on finding Jose.

He'd just started to stretch his wings when a voice made him freeze.

"Natsu, stop!"

Lucy was blocking his way out. She was panting and sweating, but her eyes were fierce.

She caught her breath and glared at him, "I won't let you leave. You can't beat Jose and the other dragons on your own. They'll kill you."

"You underestimate my power." Natsu hissed, "Get out of my way!"

"I refuse." Lucy said bravely, staring down the Fire Drake without flinching.

He lowered his head to bare sharp white fangs at her. A lethal hiss escaped his throat, "Move, or I'll roast you."

"You don't think humans are that strong at all, do you?" Lucy asked, still unmoving, "Do you think we're really all so weak? You know what my mom can do, why can't you just have a little more faith in humanity?"

"Oh, not this again." Natsu growled, "You know damn well why I won't trust your kind."

"Actually, I don't." Lucy admitted, "I know that Wendy and Gajeel have been hurt by them, but I know almost nothing about your past. I want to know why you hate us so much."

His next hiss went right through her, making Lucy shudder involuntarily, "My life is none of your business! Now move!"

"I'll prove you wrong, Natsu."

He blinked, "Excuse me?"

Lucy glared at him, "I'll make it my business. I want to be your friend. That makes your problems my problems. Please just let me help you!"

Natsu was half-tempted to incinerate her. He snarled, "You don't know-"

"Then TELL me!" she interrupted, "Is that so hard?"

He glared at her menacingly. Lucy did not flinch.

She's got some serious nerve talking about all this stuff…

But even he had to admit…the blonde girl deserved points for having the guts to stare him down.

"…Alright. You want to know me?" Natsu growled.

Lucy didn't break eye contact, "I want to be your friend. That's what I want."

His eyes narrowed, "Okay, then here's the deal. If you can survive riding on me until midday, I'll tell you about me."

And while you're exhausted, I'll go find Jose and kill that wretch.

"Nice try." Lucy muttered, "I know your game. You'll make me tired, then go fly off, won't you?"

Natsu blinked in surprise. She'd caught him red-handed.

"I'll ride on you." she began, "But not for a time limit. I'll fight you with my Soul. If you beat me, I'll let you go."

He stared at the girl, "And if you win?"

"Why don't you wait and find out?" she challenged.

Natsu bared his fangs, but this time in a fierce grin. He enjoyed surprises, but there was no way he was going to let her win.

He crouched on all fours and held out an arm for her to climb.

"Get on. I'll beat you without a problem."

Lucy swallowed, "Don't count on it."


	22. Lucy vs Natsu

Chapter 22: Lucy vs Natsu 

Lucy climbed up Natsu's arm to sit between the joint of his neck and body, gripping the sharp spines on his back for balance. Her heart was already hammering, but she forced herself to calm down.

I can't lose…I can't lose…I must stop him…

Natsu turned his head to bare his fangs in a menacing grin, "Ready to get beaten?"

"Only if you are." Lucy shot back with more determination than she actually felt.

The Flame Drake grinned some more, then rushed out of the Hall into open air.

Lucy bit back a scream as Natsu dropped straight down over the city, then pulled up sharply right before he could touch the buildings. He flew upwards, wings flapping strongly to regain altitude. The drake seemed to revel in his flight and let out a growling chuckle.

Natsu glanced back at her and snickered, "Still alive?"

"Oh, please." Lucy muttered back, "You're just messing around! I've ridden on dragons before, y'know!"

"Not one like me."

There was something in the way he said that which made Lucy decidedly certain her mother had been right. Natsu really wasn't going to make this easy on her.

The Flame Drake smirked, "So, when are you gonna start this little Soul battle?"

Lucy's face scrunched up in determination as she closed her eyes and gripped the spike on Natsu's back even tighter, "Right now."

The air was very quiet for a moment as Natsu just hovered over Magnolia. The sun was still rising slowly over the horizon.

Lucy focused her breathing and started using magic to stretch her spirit to Natsu's. She felt a brief shock as the base Link was made, causing Natsu to growl a little.

Okay, now I have to make that Link way stronger and deeper…so for starters, I need to…

Natsu snorted impatiently, "Hello? Earth to-"

He stopped as an image of a small blonde girl flashed into his head. Natsu frowned, "The heck?"

Lucy opened one eye to stare at him, "Here's how this fight works. I'm going to try and force all of my Spirit's memories into your head. All you have to do is keep me out. If I can't focus, I can't do much."

Natsu arched a scaly eyebrow, "That's it?"

"That's just round one." she grinned, trying to appear confident.

He bared his fangs, "Well…I hope you're ready for a thrashing."

With that, Natsu bolted straight up into the air.

Lucy clutched onto him, squeezed her eyes shut again and began to send more of her memories into Natsu's mind. It was really hard to keep herself controlled with the young drake flying so rapidly, but she managed somehow.

/

A child version of Lucy playing with a tiny doll while Layla and Jude looked on. She looked so happy and innocent with that big smile on her face.

/

Natsu was tempted to sneer at the mental image, "Aw, that's cute."

He dove straight down, flapping his wings swiftly to pick up speed. Natsu tucked his wings in and increased his rate of descent even more, resembling an overgrown red falcon diving for prey.

/

Seven years old, now. The whole town was celebrating her birthday. Lucy giggled as the tiny old man that was Makarov's human form helped cut the cake. Layla and Jude laughed as she demanded to piggyback the Fairy Tail leader.

/

Natsu lashed his tail as more of her memories came through. She was getting through to him a little too easily for his liking.

Try this on for size, girly, he thought.

He pulled up sharply from the dive, then corkscrewed upwards towards the sky. Lucy shrieked on his back, giving Natsu a sense of satisfaction.

"Had enough yet, princes-?!"

/

Lucy at eleven years old. She skipped through the Thunder Hall with a small, blue-haired girl close behind.

The short blonde turned and giggled, "Come on, Levy! Mister Makarov said some new dragons came here!"

"Oh, why can't I be a dragon again, Lucy!" A young Levy complained, "I can't run fast as a human! This isn't fair!"

"Because I ate all my lunch before you! That was the deal~" Lucy chirped happily.

Levy pouted, but still chased after her friend.

Makarov was in the back with three young dragons, one of which still didn't have its wings.

Lucy called to them, "Hello, Mister Makarov! Are they the new dragons? What are their names?"

The huge old drake smiled at her, "I think you should ask them yourself. Don't worry yourselves, little ones." he said to the new dragons as they warily watched Lucy and Levy approach, "Levy is a dragon like you, and Lucy is a very nice young girl. You'll get along just fine."

"If you say so." the apparent eldest of the three new dragons, a white dragonelle, offered a small smirk at the two girls, "I'm Mirajane. Just call me Mira, alright?"

The drake beside her was larger, but his wings looked as though they had only recently come out, "My name is Elfman. I'm a real man!"

Lucy giggled, "He's funny!"

The youngest of the three, a small white dragonelle whose wings had yet to appear, laughed with her in agreement, "That's just the way my big brother is! I'm Lisanna by the way! It's nice to meet you!"

"Likewise!" Lucy smiled back, "We'll be great friends!"

/

"I'm not that easy to keep out, Natsu." Lucy smiled with her eyes still closed.

The Flame Drake tch'd, "You're persistent, I'll give you that."

He started flying in a rapid loop, spiraling upwards before stopping and entering a nosedive at his peak. Lucy gritted her teeth and held onto him as tightly as she could.

Natsu didn't pull up until the absolute last second, his claws actually scraping into the street while the wind from his wings buffeted houses and knocked over a few of the early rising pedestrians, who yelled in surprise.

Lucy gasped, "Natsu! Watch out for the people, will you?!"

"Not my problem!" he snapped, "It's on them if they can't get out of my way in time!"

"You…!" Lucy concentrated harder and rammed even more of her memories into Natsu's consciousness, making him growl in annoyance.

/

"M-mama, I'm not sure about this!" Lucy protested.

Layla smiled, "It's okay, Lucy. You've ridden on dragons before."

Lucy shook her head, "This is different! I've never been on one that's flying!"

Erza brought her head down to look reassuringly at the blonde girl, "I won't let you fall, Lucy. I promise."

She still looked uncertain, so Layla put a hand on her daughter's shoulder, "Lucy, how old are you now?"

"Fourteen…"

Layla nodded, "And remember how old I was when I first rode a flying dragon?"

"Ten…"

"That's right. There's nothing to be afraid of. Erza's just going to fly over Magnolia for a few minutes and come back, ok?"

Lucy glanced up at Erza and swallowed, "You know I'm scared of heights, right?"

The Blade Dragonelle gave Lucy a friendly nudge with her snout, "I know. But I'll help you overcome that fear. That's what friends do. We help each other."

"Okay…I trust you." Lucy finally agreed.

She climbed onto Erza's back and gripped the dragonelle's feathers tightly as Erza padded to the edge of the Thunder Hall, then jumped out into the air.

Lucy gasped and squeezed her eyes shut, certain they were about to plummet to their deaths.

"You can open your eyes now."

Erza's voice was amused. Lucy dared to open her eyes a smidgeon before they flew wide open.

"Whooaa!"

The whole city was laid out beneath her, and further on she could see past the lake, into the forest and to the faint outline of mountains beyond.

Lucy's mouth was wide open, "Amazing!"

Erza hummed with laughter, "It certainly is. Are you as afraid as before?"

"Not really. It's just too beautiful for me to be scared!"

/

Natsu's eyes focused on Lucy with a smirk, "Fear of heights? Seriously?"

"I got over that a long time ago." she grumbled, her cheeks slightly red. The only problem she had with this was that Natsu would see every memory she ever had, even the most embarrassing ones.

The Flame Drake snorted and dove into another corkscrew, then pulled up sharply and almost threw Lucy off of his back. She squealed and grabbed at him to keep from falling off.

Natsu got more annoyed as she continued to squeeze memories into his head. Now they were at points he knew about.

/

"So, what do you think of those three staying with us?" Kinana asked.

Lucy glanced at her, "Who?"

"You know, Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy?"

"Oh." Lucy thought about it and shrugged, "Well, Wendy I don't have a problem with. She seems a bit shy, but it only makes her even cuter. Although…"

Mira smirked a bit, "I'm guessing you don't like Natsu and Gajeel that much, huh?"

The blonde girl muttered, "Ugh, don't know what gives you that idea. Gajeel just seems like a jerk and as for Natsu…he's pretty much an ass."

"Some first impression, huh?" Kinana giggled.

/

"What's wrong, Natsu?" Lucy challenged, "I'm beating you!"

"I'm going easy on you, runt." Natsu growled, "I haven't decided if I want to kill you or not."

"Then this round is mine!"

/

"Natsu's animosity toward humans is at a critical point. If something goes wrong, he'll never trust another human as long as he lives. We cannot allow that to happen, for Igneel's sake. But I don't have the strength right now to do anything that could help him. It's going to have to be you. You'll have to stop Natsu."

That was Layla, and now Lucy responded, "What do I have to do?"

"I think you'll have to form a Soul Link with him." Layla decided.

"WHAT?!"

Lucy was shocked, "I can barely manage a temporary link, forget a permanent one! And against a dragon like Natsu?! He'd crush me!"

/

The air grew silent as Natsu paused in midair.

Lucy's face went white. Uh-oh.

"Lucy..."

She gulped and tried to look innocent as Natsu's head slowly turned around to glare daggers at her, "What…is a Soul Link?"

"Ahh…funny you should ask that…ehehe…" Lucy chuckled nervously.

The Flame Drake had a look of thunder on his face, "What did you mean, a permanent link?"

"Well, onto round two!" she said quickly. Good thing that wasn't a prominent subject in my older memories, but he's gonna get so mad when the next part starts!

Natsu narrowed his eyes, "Tell me what a Soul Link is, Lucy, or I'll-"

/

His tiny head broke free, but he squeaked as the egg fell over and rolled him on his back. The rest of his body was still stuck inside the shell.

A soft laughter echoed in the air. A huge, dark pink dragonelle leaned down to gaze at him with gentle blue eyes.

"Do you need help, little one?"

/

Natsu froze. In the first round, Lucy forced HER memories into MY head…and the second round is…

Lucy giggled a bit, "You sure were cute as a baby-KYAA!"

"OH, HELL NO!" Natsu roared in fury.

Throwing aerial finesse out the window, the Flame Drake started bolting everywhere in midair, snarling with anger. His bellows woke up every living thing in the city.

/\/\/\/\/\

Layla's eyes flew open at the titanic roar. She threw the blankets off of her and darted to the window, eyes widening when she saw Natsu spitting fireballs above the city. A small figure was clearly clutching onto his back.

Lucy! Don't you DARE let go of him! He'll really try to kill you now!

/\/\/\/\/\

"LUCY! Get out of my head before you REALLY make me mad!" Natsu's roars sounded crazed with rage.

Lucy held on for dear life as Natsu struggled furiously to force her off his back, pulling every aerobatic move he knew and then some. She clutched at him desperately and kept on trying to delve deeper into his soul's memories.

Getting my memories into his head was the hard part! Since he doesn't know much about mental defenses, taking his memories into me shouldn't be as difficult! She thought to encourage herself.

Her heart lurched as Natsu spat a fireball and lunged right through it. Lucy shrieked as the intense heat made her skin burn.

At least, that was the theory!

Even with the Flame Drake's enraged efforts to get her off, Lucy managed to get through the first few years of his life without much trouble. She made sure to pay attention to every memory, trying to get a picture as to who Natsu really was as a person.

As the memories poured on and Natsu's rage got even more intense, Lucy became aware of a deep, rapid thumping sound. She realized excitedly what it was.

Our heartbeats are starting to synchronize! I'm almost there!

/

A black dragon.

/

Lucy froze with fright. What is that thing?!

/

She could sense terrible pain from the memory and fear, yes, fear deep within Natsu's heart. The pain of his wound was nothing compared to the agony that followed when the volcano buried Igneel and Acnologia. It got worse when only the black dragon reemerged in victory.

/

Lucy now knew the horrible pain of losing a family member. But the shocks she would find in Natsu had only just begun.

/

A small human girl; Kagura. Natsu's uncertainty and alarm at seeing her at first, then relief when she found herbs for him and his wounded mother, Sunrose. The young dragon seemed to like the little human, and rescued her from bad people in her village before flying over the sea with Kagura on his back and his mother beside him.

/

Quite frankly, Lucy was stunned. He used to be THAT friendly with humans? Seriously? But what happened to-

(GET OUT OF MY SKULL!)

Lucy squealed at the force of the powerful mental roar. She felt relief though.

Our consciousness finally connected! Once I finish reading his memories, we'll be-!

/

Sunrose in the water, screeching in pain as men speared her from a ship. Her blood turned the water red.

Horror coursing through Natsu, then a mass of hot fury. The formidable rage drove him to dive onto the ship and rip at human after human until his claws and fangs were colored bright blood red.

The ship sank, but the damage was done. Sunrose cried a weakened plea to her son, telling him to live on before she slipped under the waves.

Gone.

Gone!

GONE!

She's gone!

I'm alone!

/

Lucy had no idea she was crying. The horrible sadness inside of Natsu was almost too deep for her to withstand. It was pure agony, but she gasped in shock as every ounce of that terrible despair turned to an unfettered, overwhelming hatred.

/

Humans…

They took mom away…

They killed her…

They hurt and kill other dragons…

I'll never forgive ANY of them!

/

Lucy was stunned.

(Lucy, get the hell out of my head!) Natsu mentally bellowed at her. (You have no right to take what's mine!)

(You…are right to think of humans like that…)

The Fire Drake halted his rampage for a moment. (Come again?!)

She cried on his back, stopping the mental conversation to catch her breath and whisper, "No wonder you hate us so much. What those people did to you is horrible!"

Natsu was stunned momentarily, but his eyes narrowed, "Don't act like you understand! Get out of my memories before I incinerate you!"

Lucy held on tight as he began his crazed flight again, trying to get through the sadness in Natsu's heart to delve deeper into his mind.

/\/\/\/\/\

Layla swallowed as Natsu's flight got even more reckless and desperate. The Fire Drake was clearly throwing everything he had at Lucy.

"Layla!"

Erza and Wendy ran over in their human forms, eyes wide in alarm, "What's going on?! Why is Lucy on Natsu like that?!"

The Spirit Priestess shook her head, "It would take too long to explain, but…we can't interfere. This is a battle Lucy must fight herself, and she must win, no matter what."

Wendy gulped, "I don't know if she can last much longer…Natsu's way too strong!"

Layla bit her lip fearfully, "I know. But she must succeed, nonetheless."

/\/\/\/\/\

Meeting Gajeel and Wendy, a little bit of happiness for once.

The Dragon Slavers spoiled the brief joy after they slew an innocent young dragon for sport. Natsu's burning breath turned them all to ash and made his hate for humans even more intense.

A plan to take over a Thunder to get stronger and stop all the evil things in their lives, seven years of raiding and pillaging and traveling through Fairy Tail's territory.

Natsu growing from a barely fledged dragon into a fully mature Fire Drake, strong and proud like a stag.

She could sense longing in him. A need to find other dragons. Of course he had Gajeel and Wendy, but Lucy could tell they were really more like siblings to him. He didn't really want to find another drake though- that would only put him in a fighting mood. No, what Natsu really sought was a dragonelle of his own age. He was sure that was the only creature on Earth he could trust without question.

A rush of excitement one morning. He'd seen a dragon with the characteristic angelic wings of a dragonelle. And she was-

/

Lucy gaped in surprise, "Lisanna?!"

Natsu froze, mentally and literally screeching, "Lucy, get OUT!"

She didn't though. Lucy had to keep going, especially now that she was so close.

Utterly furious, Natsu lunged towards the mountain peak above the Thunder Hall and slammed his side into it, dragging along the stone in a maddened effort to get Lucy off of him. She screamed as one of the jagged edges left a cut in her arm and a burst of crushed rock pelted her skin.

But still, she didn't surrender and held on tightly, much to the drakes increasing rage.

/\/\/\/\/\

Wendy covered her eyes with a shriek, "Ahh! I can't watch!"

Erza looked alarmed, "He's really trying to kill her now."

Layla barely had the nerve to keep watching her daughter in such a deadly situation. She clasped her hands and said a silent prayer.

/\/\/\/\/\

Natsu's overwhelming excitement to find a dragon like himself after so long of seeing just Wendy and Gajeel from time to time.

Lisanna was hostile at first, knowing he was one of the three raiding dragons. Natsu seemed to worry that maybe she really wouldn't want anything to do with him.

A brief argument, then the start of a hunt. Natsu's playful side came out for the first time in years. Lucy couldn't remember feeling such ecstasy just by being near someone she hardly knew.

His happiness wavered slightly when Lisanna returned after a few days with a frustrated expression, making Natsu believe he probably wouldn't see her again. Then it was back to excitement and a mock fight when Lisanna apologized and asked him to stay.

/

Lucy couldn't believe Lisanna had kept Natsu's presence in her hunting grounds a secret from everyone. It was so unlike her to do something like that.

That must be why Dragion said she was upset a while ago! Lucy realized.

/

Natsu was playing with her again.

Feelings of excitement, joy, and eagerness pulsed through Natsu's heart as he chased Lisanna in a game. It was like little kids that had finally found their best friends.

Or maybe more than that. After the game was over, an image of the two lying close while Natsu's wing blanketed the dragonelle. Content flowing through every scale in the Fire Drake's body.

Another month of memories passed by. Lisanna came to see Natsu many times to hunt, play, and just chat cheerfully with each other. He kept his promise to never raze a village while he stayed in the waterfall cave.

Then Gajeel reappeared out of nowhere and the month of happiness quickly evaporated into alarm. Wendy had been captured.

Ambushing the Dragon Slavers, then captured by Fairy Tail with Erza at the head. Lucy recognized most of the memories afterwards and passed by the rest quickly.

/

"LUCY! I'll FLAY you when this is over, mark my words!"Natsu spat furiously.

Lucy did her best to ignore his fury and went through his memories faster, watching for any more signs of his emotions spiking.

/

Jose, near the end of his train of memories. Terrible anger that a human had stolen Gajeel from them and dared to wound Wendy, Lisanna, and Makarov.

Humans…

I have had enough of them all.

/

Lucy passed over the last of Natsu's memories at last, and his mind went into pitch-black.

That's it!

Natsu gasped and his eyes rolled back into his head. His body went limp as Lucy completed the Soul Link. She felt exhausted from the effort of holding onto him during his wild aerial rampage, but was relieved the ordeal was finally over.

Then she realized they had started to fall straight down towards the lake.

Lucy had time to widen her eyes before they crashed into the dark waters and began sinking towards the bottom.

/\/\/\/\/\

Layla stood outside her home with the two dragonelles and held her breath when Natsu suddenly froze in midair, then began to plummet from the skies. Lucy did it!

But the drake kept falling and made a massive splash as he and Lucy slammed into the lake and sunk.

"No!" Erza gasped.

They rushed for the lake. Natsu didn't recover from the shock in time!

/\/\/\/\/\

Lucy held onto Natsu's neck as they sank deeper into the water. She gave a mental shout, trying to rouse his consciousness. (Natsu, wake up!)

The young drake's eyes flickered open and he started thrashing underwater in confusion. He glared at Lucy and tried to roar, but a mass of bubbles was all she was met with.

Natsu instead growled through the telepathy. (What did you do to me?!)

Lucy refused to let go of him. (I created a permanent link between our spirits…a Soul Link. Now I can sense everything you feel, and you can sense everything I feel.)

He looked enraged. (What gives you the right to do that?! I'm not your pet, you human brat!)

(Definitely not.) She agreed. (Natsu, all the times you've wanted to find someone that you can tell any secret to…I know you can't keep all of that to yourself. If you want…I can be that person. I'll never tell anybody about your secrets, but I want to be your friend in return.)

His dark eyes were piercing as the two of them kept sinking further underwater. (So you forced this stupid Link onto me? Yeah, Lucy, that's really friendly, all right.)

Lucy did her best to ignore the scathing remark and hugged his neck tighter. (I don't want to see you get hurt. I really do admire you, Natsu…you're so much stronger than I thought. My spirits would have sunk and given up so early on if I had been in your place. You've gone through so much pain…)

She closed her eyes as they continued to sink. (It's your choice if you want to let me be your friend…but I will do everything in my power to protect you no matter what. That's what friends do.)

Natsu was silent for a while. They finally hit the lakebed as the Fire Drake stared up at the light filtering through the water. (Why go so far for me? After all that hell I put you through…and I'm sure you know by now just how much I really hate humans.)

(Well…I don't know.) Lucy admitted. (I can't really explain it. It just feels as though something inside you is…missing. Broken. Like a piece of you was torn out and lost long ago…I get the feeling that piece is a person to watch over you. Not because you aren't strong, but because you don't have anyone that you can go to that you absolutely trust. It's like you've been alone with any and every dark shadow in your life…)

(That loneliness hurts a lot, doesn't it? Please, let me help you…I don't want my friends to feel so sad. It tears me up inside.)

Natsu watched the fish swim over them for a moment. (…Can I really trust you to keep my life a secret? Never say a word about my past without asking me.)

Lucy smiled into the dragon's scales. (Always. I promise, Natsu.)

He did seem content with that, but Lucy still sensed he wasn't ok with the whole thing.

(I really don't like how you did this to me without my permission.) he thought critically.

It was getting really hard for Lucy to keep calm and continue the telepathic conversations. Her lungs need air, and fast.

(Well, actually…I only shaped the Soul Link's base. The only way it can completely solidify is if you agree to it.)

Surprise emanated from the Fire Drake. (What?)

Lucy squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying to ignore the need for air. (Unless you consent to the Soul Link, it'll fade away quickly. So in the end, it's your choice if you want me to be with you like this or not.)

Natsu was appalled. (You…you did all this just to Link our souls halfway? That's insane!)

(It's worth it…) Lucy was about to pass out. Her consciousness was fading into darkness.

He shifted his bulk to crouch on the lakebed, eyes fixed on the light. (You know that you're dying, right? There's no way you can stay underwater like this for much longer. You're suffocating as we speak!)

The dragon could sense her slipping away. (I'll give anything…anything…if it means defending my friends…if it's my life…so be it…)

Natsu remained utterly silent for a few moments. He felt Lucy passing out from the lack of air before finally lunging up towards the surface.

Water roared past Lucy's ears as her vision flickered, then Natsu exploded out of the lake.

The Fire Drake's wings spread and flexed, shivering in the warm light. As water cascaded off of his body, the morning sun reflected the liquid droplets on Natsu's crimson scales. Lucy was transfixed by the dazzling bright red shining with the water and sunlight.

(Beautiful…)

Natsu's tail twitched a bit at her thoughts, then he spun around and flew away from Magnolia towards the forest beyond the lake.

Lucy clung onto him, barely strong enough to keep her balance.

/\/\/\/\/\

Layla, Erza, and Wendy were almost to the lake when Natsu burst from the surface and flew away from the city.

Erza cast a hurried glance at the blonde woman, "Do I pursue him?"

"…" Layla was silent for a while before shaking her head, "No…let him be. He'll come back to us."

Wendy watched her friend vanish over the treetops across the lake and frowned worriedly, "I hope so…"

The Spirit Priestess also gazed after the young Fire Drake. Lucy had still been hanging onto his back, but no doubt she was exhausted from the ordeal.

Lucy…

/\/\/\/\/\

Natsu flew for a short while until he found a small clearing in the forest and landed. He crouched on the ground and let Lucy slip off his back, catching her with his tail before she could hit the ground.

He set her down gently and leaned over the girl's exhausted form with a scolding look, "You're way too reckless. That was such a ridiculous idea, Lucy."

She managed a faint smile, "But it looks like…I finally got your respect..didn't I?"

"The only thing you convinced me of is that you're the craziest human I've ever met." Natsu muttered.

The girl's smile just widened, "Sometimes you have to do crazy things…if it's for your friends..then nothing is too absurd…You and I are the same..in that aspect…"

Natsu stared down at her for a while in silence.

Lucy felt herself slipping into unconsciousness, but before she could pass out, Natsu lay down close by and used his tail to gently pull her up to his flank. She collapsed onto the red scales, calmed by the warmth radiating from the young dragon's body.

Natsu curled his huge form around her, setting his head close to her body. He snorted slightly, "If you really meant every word you said..and if you had the guts to go through with every bit of hell I put you through…then I guess I can respect you for that."

Lucy felt Natsu relax into the Soul Link and sensed it solidify. She grew happy once more.

He accepted it…

She closed her eyes and snuggled closer to the huge, scaled body of the Fire Drake. Natsu's inner flame warmed her from the cold of the lake water.

Lucy fell asleep swiftly, but Natsu stayed up for a while and watched her with his dark eyes. The light of curiosity shone in the black irises.

Alright…you win this round.

Lucy.


	23. Skyfall

Chapter 23: Skyfall 

When Lucy awoke, Natsu was still curled around her, but his head was raised up to watch the sky. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes, but winced at the slight pain in her arm where she'd been cut by rocks during her struggle with Natsu. To her surprise, it was cleaned and wrapped with a big leaf.

"Oh, you're awake?"

Natsu's head had turned to stare down at her. His dark eyes were expressionless.

Lucy nodded and tried to stand up, but her muscles were on fire. She groaned and sat back down, "Yeah…but I've never been so tired in my life…"

"I didn't exactly go easy on you." he pointed out.

"No, you certainly didn't." she agreed, then looked up to find the sun. To Lucy's amazement, it was beginning to set. The sky was already fading from light blue to a soft orange.

"How long was I out?"

Natsu snorted, "All day long. You slept as hard as a bear during winter. I got up after a bit and found some stuff to bandage your arm. Sorry about the bumps and bruises and stuff."

Lucy shook her head, "No, it's okay…it was very nice of you to think of bandaging this up. Thank you."

He rolled his eyes, "I'm amazed you actually survived all that."

"I'm told I can be pretty stubborn." she admitted.

"No argument there." Natsu agreed, then set his head down on the ground to look at her, "Now, I dragged you out here so my questions won't be interrupted."

Lucy smiled a bit, "Let me guess, you want to know what the Soul Link is, right?"

He just looked at her expectantly. She took a deep breath and dove into it.

"A Soul Link is what you might call a Symbiosis Spell. It joins two separate souls at a unique magic wavelength and strengthens them in different ways on both ends. Like me, for instance. Since my soul is connected to yours now, I can manage a much bigger amount of magical power."

"Good for you." Natsu muttered, "And how do I benefit?"

Lucy tapped her chin, "I'm pretty sure your mind is going to be much harder for people like Jose to penetrate because my skill with mental defense is pretty high. In other words, no run of the mill sorcerer can just walk into your head whenever they want. Which reminds me, I need to teach you how to block out psychic offenses like the ones Jose uses."

He snorted, "That could be good, I guess. So long as I keep him out and get my claws on him, I don't think it should be much of a problem to kill the bastard, right?"

"That's the idea." she said with a nod, "Okay, so let's try it now. I don't need to do anything physical for this. Just follow what I say, alright?"

"Sure."

Lucy closed her eyes and set her hand on the drake's flank. In a moment, Natsu felt her touch his consciousness through the Soul Link.

(It's harder for Jose to do this since he isn't linked to you, but he's really strong anyway. Once you can keep me out, I think you should be able to stop Jose from getting to you as well.)

(So how do I block you out?)

(Let's see…Try creating a strong mental image. A strong memory- the strongest you can think of. Either that, or a figure you think of as powerful. Imagine that memory or figure blocking me from getting at you.)

(Okay…) Natsu wracked his head, trying to find a powerful image in his mind. The first thing that came to him was Smaug. The huge drake had been immensely powerful. Surely he could…

(Try getting in.) He told Lucy as he pictured Smaug standing between the girl and himself.

Lucy smiled. (That might have worked on me before I was linked to you, but now…it's not enough, Natsu.)

She held up a hand and grabbed the dragon blockade, making it implode. Natsu felt a sudden sting in his head and snarled uncomfortably.

(That's what happens when your defense gets eliminated. It won't be that easy for Jose because I can help reinforce your mind, but you really need to get better at it. That way, I won't have to sense every little thing you feel or think, get it?)

(Alright, let me try again.)

Natsu tilted his head and frowned, trying to come up with another mental image.

(Before I forget, try and make the memory as happy and positive as you can. You can make a defense with a really bad memory too, but let's not do that, okay?)

(Right…so I'll try this.) He pictured Gajeel and Wendy, both grinning after the three of them had met up for the first time.

Natsu could tell it was tougher for Lucy this time, but she broke through nonetheless.

(Those aren't the best memories you have, are they? What about your parents?)

(Isn't that a bad memory? They're dead in case you remember…)

(Try and think of a happy memory you had with them. The happiest you can ever remember being.) Lucy tried encouraging him.

(Jeez, tough order…) Natsu growled reluctantly.

(Sorry. I know it's not something you want to think about, but we really need to get your mind locked up so Jose can't take you away like he did to Gajeel. If he takes you right now…)

(Yeah, all of you would be completely screwed. Sorry if I'm just too much.) he sounded kind of smug.

(Haha, so funny. Focus, mister.)

Even though he had a hard time imagining his parents without bad feelings to go with them, Natsu gave it his best to picture the best moment he could remember. Him, Sunrose, and Igneel all lying together in the sun when the volcanic crater was still dead. The three of them had curled up and basked in the warmth and it had felt so good. He missed that warmth.

(Can you break down this one?) Natsu asked.

(…) Lucy was silent in his mind. She shook her head and spoke normally, "I can't get through. Nice job, Natsu. You found a way to keep me out."

"Good. So I just need to do that to keep you from sneaking into my head?" he said as his tail flicked in satisfaction.

"I won't sneak." Lucy muttered, looking offended, "And if I tried to look through your mind, you'd be able to tell. We can always have our own thoughts unless one of us decides to talk to the other telepathically."

Natsu shrugged, "So long as I still have my thoughts to myself, I can live with that."

She nodded, then smiled curiously, "Hey…I kind of want to try something."

He tilted his head, "Which is…?"

"You remember when you told me what a Skyfall was?"

Natsu blinked, "Yeah, so what?"

"Do you think you can maybe show me what it's like?" Lucy asked.

The Fire Drake stared at her, "Um…well…that's, ah…"

Lucy frowned, "What?"

Natsu shifted and coughed uncomfortably, "W-well, it's kind of, uh, y'know…something two dragons do. Without another..dragon…it's kind of just a free-fall…"

He prayed she wasn't about to ask what he dreaded was coming. But Lucy asked, as expected.

"What's the difference?"

Natsu's eyes focused on the trees, the grass, the clouds, anything. He already felt-

"Why are you so uncomfortable?" Lucy asked, "Your end of the Soul Link feels so awkward!"

"I-I wonder!" he stammered and gulped, "Well…Lucy, y'see, it's kind of like…ah…a Skyfall is sort of something a drake and a..dragonelle…are supposed to do..together…alone…y'know, umm…"

He had no idea how someone as smart as Lucy could be so clueless, but she got impatient, "Just spit it out, Natsu! What happens during a Skyfall?"

Natsu felt heat crawling through his scales, but Lucy's persistence finally annoyed him enough to snap the information, "It's how dragons mate, okay?!"

Lucy blinked for a moment, then her face turned bright red, "O-oh! I uh, I see! W-well, I had no idea!"

The Fire Drake grumbled, "Honestly…you'd think that by living with so many dragons, you'd know some of this stuff by now…"

"Well they never talk about it…it's not like any of the dragons in Fairy Tail have a mate, remember?" Lucy muttered, but found humor in the situation. Enough to make her giggle, "Who knew even you could get so awkward on a subject like that…how cute!"

Natsu practically roared in embarrassment, "You really piss me off!"

Lucy got over her giggle fit and smiled at the young dragon, "Tell you what, let me call it a free fall instead, but can you show me what it's like?"

He grumbled for a moment, but sighed and used his tail to lift her onto his back, "Hold on."

Natsu got up, then leaped skyward, flying up in a spiral pattern. His wings beat swiftly, strongly, and Lucy was aware of an instinctive craving for the wind from his end of the Soul Link. The dragon was addicted to this vast, endless expanse of sky.

Lucy gasped as a sudden chill came through her when they flew through the roof of clouds. Natsu continued to climb faster and higher, higher, higher…

He suddenly stopped climbing and hovered at his peak, staring down at the world below.

Lucy's breath was taken away by the view.

The earth was laid out before her. She could see Magnolia, but it was just a tiny cluster of buildings beside the massive mountain where the Thunder Hall lay. Further on, she saw the coastline, the sea, the forest…

"Now you know what it's like to be a dragon."

Natsu didn't look at her, but his voice was surprisingly soft. Lucy could sense calm in his aura, but it was just a thin shell over what he really felt. Beneath his shell of serenity was a writhing mass of excitement.

"Hold on tight, Lucy."

Natsu dropped.

He turned his body so his head faced the earth, falling straight down out of the air. Lucy opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. She just held onto Natsu tight, her eyes wide as they fell.

As they fell, Natsu spread his wings and started slowly spinning. To Lucy's amazement, he began to laugh.

Pure joy raced through Natsu.

Lucy could feel the incredible exhilaration and happiness pouring through every scale in the Fire Drake's body as he closed his eyes. This was where he belonged. He was a dragon. A creature of overwhelming might and magic.

He was a real sky king.

They burst through the clouds after minutes of falling, leaving a huge, gaping hole in the white blankets covering the sky.

Natsu bellowed in jubilation, savoring the freedom of his fall. He opened his eyes to watch the earth rushing closer and closer, but still didn't pull up. They were heading straight for the lake on the edge of Magnolia.

Lucy gulped as they got closer. (Uh, Natsu? Shouldn't you, y'know, slow down?)

(No way. Not yet.)

They were really close to the water now, just hundreds of feet above the shining expanse of lake. But Natsu kept falling vertically, eyes narrowed in concentration.

(Natsu…)

Lucy could make out the buildings easily now. They were still falling dangerously fast.

(Natsu.)

The Fire Drake bared his fangs in a grin that was nearly crazed with excitement. He could see individual people on the streets of Magnolia. They were barely a hundred feet above the lake now.

"NATSU!" Lucy shrieked both mentally and verbally.

Natsu finally let out a roar and banked up sharply, feeling his spine bend from the incredible force of momentum. His claws skimmed the water as he finally leveled out and he breathed a river of fire over the lake in a last burst of ecstasy.

Lucy gasped for breath and tried to recover from the shocking fall, "H-holy crap…"

He slowed his flight and lazily circled around to come back to the city. Natsu flashed a grin her way, "Isn't it amazing?"

She nodded, "Mmhm, can we get to the ground now, please?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Natsu rolled his eyes and shook his head, but the fanged smile on his face didn't disappear.

They landed on the edge of the lake and Magnolia. Natsu crouched so Lucy could slide down his leg, but she stumbled and would have fallen had he not caught her with his tail. She felt dizzy and her legs were wobbling.

Natsu snorted in amusement, "Did that meet your expectations?"

Lucy sat down slowly and sighed, but offered a smile, "It was incredible. Thanks so much, Natsu. I don't think I could ever forget that."

"Yup. There's no way you have a fear of heights anymore, right?" he grinned cheerfully.

Her smile grew. So flying is something that really makes him happy, huh? Good to know.

Lucy decided to mess with him a bit and smirked mischievously, "And that would be pure heaven for you if a dragonelle joined in, huh?"

Natsu's eyes got huge and he stammered, "D-don't say such weird things, you brat!"

She laughed in a crazy fit of hysterics, "Th-the look on your f-face! Ahahahahahahaha!"

"Stop making me look silly! You suck, Lucy!" Natsu yelled with utter, hot embarrassment.

Lucy continued to laugh on the ground until a few people approached them.

"I see you two are finally getting along." Layla smiled with Erza and Wendy in their human forms behind her, "I'm guessing you agreed to the Soul Link, Natsu?"

The Fire Drake grunted, "I guess so. I mean, I think Lucy kind of earned it after surviving a flight on my back."

"Rampage would probably be a better word." Erza mused, "An insane, raging-wild rampage."

Natsu shrugged, "I'm not that big on details."

"Unless it involves Skyfalls." Lucy giggled.

"SHUT IT!" he screeched back.

Wendy tilted her head, "What's a Skyfall?"

Natsu's eyes got huge, "See you guys, have fun explaining that shit to her!"

"Wait-Natsu!" Wendy protested, but the Fire Drake took off and bolted for the Thunder Hall.

Erza covered a hand to hide her laughter, "He gets embarrassed over things like that? Really?"

Lucy had another fit of giggles, "Oh, you should have seen the look on his face earlier! It was just priceless! I still can't stop laughing!"

Wendy looked between the two of them in cluelessness, "What's the big deal? What's a Skyfall?"

Layla managed to just keep a smile and patted the young dragonelle's shoulder, "Something we'll explain to you another time. It's something only dragons do, but not something you need to worry about for a good while yet."

"O..kay?" she replied, still confused.

/\/\/\/\/\

Natsu landed in the Thunder Hall and shuddered. If I had to explain that stuff to Wendy…ugh…I don't even want to think about it…

He was halfway down the hall to his cave when someone got in his way.

Lisanna glared at him. Her tail flicked from side to side slowly.

Natsu blinked, "Um..hi."

"Hey. Why'd you try to sneak out this morning?" she asked menacingly.

The Fire Drake avoided his gaze, "Oh, you know…Lucy said she wanted to fly around for a bit, and I had nothing better to do, so…"

Lisanna didn't buy it at all. He could see it in her eyes.

She's pissed.

"Funny…I could have sworn you were really against anything human-related yesterday…" she muttered, "And that sure sounded like you going wild out there earlier."

"W-well, y'know…I changed my mind a bit." he stammered.

"Uh-huh." The white dragonelle had him pinned under her unwavering blue stare.

Natsu shuffled uncomfortably. He had no idea she could be so intimidating, so he tried a different approach, "Shouldn't you be in Porlysuca's cave? Won't you reopen your wounds?"

Lisanna puffed up her cheek, "Don't change the subject. You were going to go after Jose, weren't you?"

He gulped. She had him, and they both knew it.

"…Yeah. But-"

"You big dummy!"

Natsu flinched as her tail whipped around and came within inches of smacking him between the eyes before she paused.

Lisanna growled at him, "Don't you ever try that again."

He nodded silently, his eyes a little crossed as he stared at the tip of her tail just hovering in front of his face. She huffed and spun around, walking a few paces before whipping her neck around to stare at him, "We need you. Don't do stupid things and get yourself hurt."

Natsu blinked in surprise. Was she just worried?

He relaxed a bit and watched her walk off for a moment as he murmured, "Thanks…"

Lisanna's tail twitched slightly to acknowledge she'd heard him, but she didn't look back and kept walking back up to Porlysuca's cave.

Natsu sighed and headed back to his cave. He wanted to take a nap.

/

Lisanna lay back down in the nest where she'd been resting earlier beside Mira. She rested her head beside her sister's. I wasn't too rough on him. That's what he gets for trying to do something so dumb.

She closed her eyes and let out a sigh. So why was I…so worried about him getting hurt?

/\/\/\/\/\

"Graaahh!"

"Guoo!"

Jose watched as Gajeel beat down Sol with ease. The Iron Drake was just punishing the other dragon at this point. Even though Jose made them fight each other for entertainment, it was kind of boring when the match was so one-sided.

His thoughts drifted back to the Fire Dragon he had seen Layla riding during the first raid. Jose smirked.

He was a powerful drake…I must take possession of him. With him and this Iron Dragon, the rate of destruction I can achieve will increase exponentially…

Jose stood up. The dragons he commanded looked at him.

The Sorcerer grinned darkly, "Let's take the fight once again to them, shall we?"


	24. Dragon Armor

Chapter 24: Dragon Armor 

Natsu awoke in the middle of the night. He felt a strange presence in his mind, but then recalled what had happened earlier in the day.

So, it wasn't just a dream, huh?

He wasn't sure if he was glad or disappointed by that. Yeah, Lucy had guts and she had definitely proven that she could be his partner, but…

"Can I come in?"

Natsu lifted his head and saw Lucy standing in the entrance to his cave with a smile on her face. Speak of the devil.

His wings ruffled, "Sure."

Lucy walked in and took a seat on the floor by the dragon's side. She set a hand on his scaly flank, feeling every deep breath that went through him. She frowned and glanced at his face, "You okay? You're restless."

"Should I be relaxed?"

She shrugged, "Well, I guess not, but…you don't have to just stay in here on your own. Wouldn't you feel better around the other dragons?"

Natsu's tail twitched a little, "They're just as tense as I am."

"But when you're with others, the tension divides. It gets easier."

"You didn't just come here to tell me something I already know, did you?"

Lucy blinked, "Why stay here, then?"

He shook his head, "Can't you read my mind?"

"Not without your permission. Can't you just tell me?"

Natsu was silent for a while. (What's it like being human, Lucy?)

Lucy traced one of the scales on the dragon's body with her finger, then set her head against his flank. (It's…well, when you ask me that…I think it's good. We seek out other people just for the closeness. That's something any human- any living thing- wants instinctively, I think. To be close to others we care about.)

(Our lives are kind of short compared to dragons…we only live for about a century if we're lucky. You and the others can go on for what…a millennia? Two millennia? Much longer than any human can. But..even if our lives are so short compared to a dragon's, humans live to the fullest of our abilities. We laugh, we cry, and we can love or hate so intensely. Maybe we can feel even more than dragons because we know our lives will end much sooner than theirs. But if that's not true..maybe it's a weakness of ours that we can't live as long. After a long time passes, I guess dragons learn to control how they feel. We never manage to do that in our short lifespans. Not really.)

When Natsu didn't respond after a time, Lucy tried again. (So what's it like to be a dragon?)

His head came down and rested on the floor, curving around so he could stare at her with one large, dark eye. (It's not the wonder you make it out to be, that's for sure.)

(What do you mean?) she asked.

Natsu closed his eyes. (Think about it. We're huge, for one. If there were the same number of dragons as there were humans on this planet, there would be no room for anything else. We'd consume the world. But because there's not as many dragons, it's that much harder to find another that matches us perfectly. We never manage to get along as well as humans do, either. If two drakes even see each other, the first thing that goes through our head is the best way to tear out the other's throat.)

(We were never made to be gentle or caring with anything other than another dragon. Everything about us was made to be the ultimate monsters. Claws, fangs, tails, wings…as if we weren't already big and lethal enough…and then our scales are tougher than armor, we can use our breath as a weapon, and live for so long…Dragons are the worst nightmare for any living thing to meet.)

Lucy watched him calmly. (You aren't monsters.)

He opened one eye and stared back.

(I know that dragons have good in them. I've seen it with my own eyes. My best friends are dragons. Maybe you guys are impossibly huge and can live for what seems like forever to us humans, but…that doesn't make you more monstrous than people. Both of our species are capable of great violence or great compassion.)

Natsu thought about that for a good while. (I guess so.)

"Natsu, Lucy?"

The two cut their psychic conversation and glanced at the cave entrance as Erza peered in with a serious look, "We're having a meeting to discuss the battle. Come join us."

/

Most of the dragons were gathered in the hall, except for Makarov, who was still with Porlysuca on her order. The old drake was strong, but she didn't want him straining the wound he'd sustained. Lisanna and Wendy were allowed to attend, though, and Layla was awaiting all the dragons with Dragion.

Natsu blinked at his human look alike, "What's he doing here?"

"Dragion has been working on something for me for quite some time now." Layla answered, "We'll need it to help even the odds against Jose."

"Oh, goody." the Flame Drake muttered dryly.

Mira cleared her throat, "Since Master is unable to fight, it'll be up to us. We should divide out forces to combat Jose's four elemental dragons, as well as send in our strongest to defeat Gajeel."

Wendy's wings ruffled, "I should fight the Air Dragon. I'm the only one who can do any sort of real damage to him."

"I'll help you against him." Erza growled, "He'll pay for hurting you, Lisanna, and Master."

Gray kneaded his paws on the ground, "Then I'll get Juvia. She's not in control of herself and we can't let them hurt her anymore. I'll immobilize her water body with my ice."

"That leaves the Earth Dragon, the Blazing Dragon, and Gajeel." Mira surmised, "Elfman and I will handle the earth one."

Lisanna frowned, "I can help too, y'know."

"Not this time." Her sister fixed Lisanna with an unwavering stare, "I know you're tough, but you still haven't fully recovered. Help Levy and the others fight the shades. Leave the difficult battle to us."

She didn't look happy about that, but Lisanna gave in and sighed reluctantly, "Fine. So that leaves just two more of Jose's dragons."

"Leave Gajeel and that Blazing Dragon to me."

Everyone stared at Natsu, who looked icily calm.

Erza shook her head, "That's crazy. All of these dragons are really powerful. You can't take down two of them on your own, Natsu."

"One thing you'd better learn about me…" he growled, "Is that I tend to defy people when they say I can't do something."

The Hall was silent for a while.

"I'm glad you're up to the challenge."

All eyes went to Layla. There was something about how confident her smile was that made the dragons curious.

"This gives us a good chance to test out Dragion's work. We'll send Natsu in with it."

"With what?" Natsu asked.

"Well, Dragon Armor, or course."

Natsu stared at her, "Dragon Armor? What?"

"That's what I've been working on all the time in the mechanical warehouses." Dragion explained, as his usually timid expression was replaced with a sudden, confident grin, "I've spent a while trying to build up armor sets for dragons because Mrs. Layla and Master Makarov asked me to. The problem is, you guys never really stop growing, even if your growth does slow down a lot. And almost every one of you is unique, so I followed a standard plan at first that fits dragons with Natsu's body type- Powerful, long, and lightweight. I might have to modify it a little because of those spikes on your back, but it should fit."

Natsu raised a scaly eyebrow, "And I would need armor…why? Hello? I kind of have these extra-tough scales. What could I possibly need more defense for? It'll just slow me down."

Dragion shook his head, "We used magic on the armor to make it really light. Even I can pick up one of the big pieces easily. It won't affect your speed at all. And I think you'll need it because without it, Gajeel can probably just shred right through your scales, right?"

"What was that?!" the Fire Drake snarled, taking the boy's words for an insult.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" Dragion went back to chicken mode.

Layla sighed, "Natsu, what he means is that while Gajeel will probably hurt you with or without this armor, it'll be difficult for him to mortally wound you. He's strong, but Dragion tested the armor when Gajeel was working with him in the ironworks. Even his iron claws could only scratch the armor."

Natsu snorted, "Fine. I'll wear the stupid stuff. But if it looks stupid, it comes right off."

Lucy sweat dropped, "You care about appearances?"

The Flame Drake looked mildly offended and ruffled his wings, "Of course I do. I'd look pathetic if that nasty silver metal made my red scales look all dull. That would suck."

The blonde girl just stared at him, "Natsu, your occasional simple personality never ceases to amaze me."

"What a blockhead." Gray muttered.

"Come again, ice princess?!" Natsu growled as he stood up.

"You wanna fight, flame brain?!" Gray mirrored him with a shout.

Erza roared, "SHUT UP!"

The two drakes actually flinched at her ferocity and sat down without thinking.

"The last thing we need right now is infighting." Erza continued sternly, "Natsu, go with Lucy and Dragion to get that armor fitted on yourself. I don't suppose there's another set ready for use, is there?"

Dragion frowned, "None that are close to halfway done. I only managed to complete the first set to about 80% because Gajeel helped me out. He's really good with iron and steel."

"He is an Iron Dragon, after all. A man!" Elfman remarked.

"Right now, he's an opponent we must beat." Erza murmured, "And only Natsu and I have defense enough to not get immediately shredded by his iron blade breath attack. My scales are also made of steel, so they should withstand Gajeel's offense if I need to confront him."

Lucy nodded, "Then let's hurry. They might be on their way back here now."

/\/\/\/\/\

Lucy was right. Jose and his five dragons were approaching Magnolia, but at the moment, the city was only a small figure to them. It would take a while for them to arrive.

"Kehehehe…Makarov can't fight us in his current condition. I imagine Layla has probably exhausted her powers, too…and it seems Laxus and his crew have flown the coop!" Jose cackled, "How lucky for me! I can wipe them out in one fell swoop with these dragons! Make haste now! I want them all as slaves at my feet by nightfall!"

The dragons under his influence increased their pace. They obeyed the will of their evil master because they had no other choice. It was that simple.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Is that all of it?"

Lucy stepped back with Dragion and surveyed their work before nodding, "Yep, that looks like all of it."

Natsu now wore massive pieces of Dragon Armor, which was made of the hardest steel and shaped in triangular molds. The biggest steel plates covered his chest, back, and shoulders, the latter of which now had small holes along his spine to accommodate Natsu's black spikes. Smaller, more flexible pieces worked down to his tail so it could still lash out with lightning speed.

His neck was also plated in the triangular armor pieces, and the top half of his head was guarded by one large piece that resembled a dragon skull. Natsu had no protection on his belly, legs, or throat, for the armor was a prototype and not a totally complete set.

He shifted on his paws, testing his movement. Not much different- the armor really was very light thanks to the magic enchantment. Natsu guessed this was probably what a turtle felt like.

"Okay, this doesn't look totally ridiculous on me, right?" he muttered.

Lucy shook her head, "Not at all. You actually look kind of…scary."

That seemed to please him. Natsu stood up a little taller.

Dragion grinned happily, "That really does look great. I impress myself."

"It's fine that it looks good." Natsu grunted, "But let's test it out before you get bragging rights."

"Are you guys ready?"

Mira poked her head into the massive warehouse, eyes widening at the armor-covered drake, "Wow, so that's Dragon Armor? Not really my thing, but it definitely looks useful. Nice. Look, we should head up to the Thunder Hall. Gray said he spotted five shapes coming towards Magnolia."

Natsu growled, "Then let's move."

/

Most of the dragons were impressed with Dragion's work. Natsu could tell that the Dragon Armor made them curious; only Erza or Gajeel knew what it felt like to be covered in steel, and that was only because it was a part of their bodies.

Though he knew he was being watched, Natsu just sat down at the edge of the cavern and fixed his glare on the horizon; Now he too could see the five shapes approaching them.

Jose was close. The familiar black hole opened up in the sky and shades began to emerge.

Erza growled, "Remember the plan! Keep the fighting away from the city and protect the civilians from the shades! Natsu, Mira, Elfman, Gray, Wendy! We have to take down those dragons!"

"Dragion and I will help Porlysuca with anyone who gets injured." Layla informed them.

Natsu snarled as the five dragons broke away from each other. Jose, riding Gajeel, headed up above the city. The other four dragons spread out, charging in from different directions.

"He's just going to sit back and watch?" the Flame Drake hissed.

"I guess Jose is trying to conserve his power." Lucy muttered.

Gray sneered, "Won't do him any good. Once Juvia is out of his reach, I'll help you guys crush him."

"No."

Erza's snap made them all pause, "You must leave Jose to Natsu and Lucy. I know most of us can use mental defenses, but I fear they aren't enough to combat that man. Lucy can use their Soul Link to reinforce Natsu's defenses enough to keep Jose out while they defeat Gajeel."

"Guess I'm riding with you." she told Natsu.

But he shook his head, "Not right now. It's going to get really hot when I fight that Blazing Dragon. Let me tackle him first, then I'll pick you up to take down Jose and Gajeel."

"No more talk." Erza growled, "Charge!"

The dragons lunged out of the Thunder Hall, pouring into the sky with furious roars.

While most of them went for the shades that were trying to swoop down on the city, Erza and Wendy confronted the Air Drake, Mira and Elfman the Earth Drake, Gray faced Juvia, and Natsu went straight for the Blazing Drake.

The fiery beast screeched at him in angry recognition. Natsu bared his fangs in a delighted grin. He loved the thrill of battle, and this was definitely going to be a fight to remember.

"Come on, then." he hissed in anticipation.


	25. Fierce Fairy Dragons

**I think that after this chapter I'm going to change the rating of this fic to M just because of the violent methods I envision dragons using to kill enemies. You'll see what I mean by the end. It also gives me a bit more freedom for other things. Anyway, give me your thoughts on the change in the reviews and as always, thanks for reading!  
**  
Chapter 25: Fierce Fairy Dragons 

Natsu and the Blazing Dragon crashed into each other like iridescent red meteors.

They bellowed and roared their fury, slashing and biting and hammering at their enemy with fire, claws, teeth, horns, and tails. Natsu ducked under a tail whip and lunged forward to bite into the enemy drake's front right limb. The beast screeched and twisted his head to grip the base of Natsu's skull, but his fiery fangs couldn't pierce the Dragon Armor.

He snarled and released his enemy's leg, but bucked his head back to stab at the Blazing Dragon's face with his horns. It growled in pain and retreated, shaking its head irritably.

Lowering his head, Natsu rammed into his enemy's chest, knocking the wind out of the Blazing Dragon. It coughed and used its burning hands to grab at him, but the fires of its body couldn't hurt Natsu, who was completely immune to the heat and any negative effects it had.

"What sort of dragon are you?!" it screeched in frustration.

"I'm Natsu!" he roared back, "Your flames can't hurt the body of a Fire Dragon!"

The beast snarled angrily as Natsu spun and slammed his tail into its face, making it tumble in midair. It shook its head and glared at him with glowing red eyes, "I'm Totomaru! If you think my fires can't hurt you…think again!"

He sucked in a breath. Natsu faced him head on, glaring right back.

Totomaru unleashed a river of fire at his enemy, engulfing Natsu in the blaze.

"Didn't you hear me?"

Natsu devoured the flames with an almost annoyed look on his face, "Fire can't hurt my body."

Totomaru looked dumbfounded, but now Natsu sucked in his own deep breath and roared, releasing a huge fireball that crashed into the enemy drake.

"Gahh!" Totomaru shrieked, "What?! That's impossible! I am fire!"

It wasn't that Natsu's flames burned him, but the sheer mass of energy that exploded right into the other dragon hurt badly enough. More than enough to send Totomaru into a raging frenzy.

"Oraaahhh!" The Blazing Drake began spitting embers in his anger, then lunged at Natsu blindly. The sudden attack surprised Natsu enough to be caught off-guard, giving Totomaru the chance to slam into him and drag both dragons out of the sky.

They crashed into the city below, leveling several buildings, but thankfully, that particular part of the city had been evacuated.

Natsu shook Totomaru off and scrambled to his feet, growling at his enemy.

"Burn…burn!" the Blazing Drake hissed furiously.

"Tch, so noisy." Natsu sneered, "You're going down."

/

Gray faced Juvia in silence, calmly watching the Water Dragonelle circle him slowly like a shark. He narrowed his eyes, but didn't attempt to mirror her every movement. He remained in the center of her orbit, senses on full alert.

Once she made a full revolution, he decided to try talking, "Juvia, are you in there? Can you hear me?"

The only response he got was a long, loud hiss.

Gray sighed, "Well, damn. It's not usually my thing to fight girls, but…I'll stop you. Bring it, Juvia."

His challenge didn't go unnoticed. Juvia roared and rushed him, spitting a huge sphere of water his way.

Rather than avoid it, Gray charged straight into the sphere. He bit down as he made contact with the water and froze it instantly, then shattered the attack to pieces as his horns punched right through.

He continued his charge and flew at Juvia, who looked surprised by the retaliation. She was so surprised that Gray managed to ram her body, freezing a part of the dragonelle's flank. Juvia squealed in pain and slammed her tail into his face with the force of a tidal wave.

"Guah!" Gray was stunned by how powerful the attack was and went tumbling through the air, but he recovered quickly and stared as she circled around for another attack.

The Ice Drake grinned, "Wow, didn't expect that kind of power. You're actually really strong, Juvia."

"Siii!" she hissed, then flew above him and started flapping her wings rapidly. From the wild flapping came a rain of water bullets, firing at Gray with dangerously high speed.

"That won't work!" Gray shouted and breathed out a freezing mist, which turned the droplets into hail. The ice pelted at his scales, but it didn't faze him at all.

Juvia suddenly exploded through the fog and sank her fangs into his shoulder. Gray roared in surprise, but jerked his head sideways to crash his horns against her frozen flank.

The iced part of Juvia shattered and she shrieked, releasing Gray as she scrambled away from him.

Gray narrowed his eyes. I gotta be more careful with this. I don't know if I'm damaging any of her vital spots. Dammit, the water body is cool and all, but can't you just make do with blue scales?! It's really tricky to not kill you by accident!

/

Erza and Wendy confronted the Air Drake, who they learned was called Aria. He was fast- certainly faster than them, but Erza was a skilled fighter and analyzed his every movement with her steely brown eyes.

There's a weakness in his movements, but I must work it out to an extent before I tell Wendy. She's the only one who can make this plan work…!

Aria suddenly let loose a high-pressure burst of vacuumed air that cut at Erza's tough steel scales, but it did little more than knock the wind out of her for a few moments. She growled at the force though, and shifted to avoid the second blast of breath.

Wendy flew up above and behind the Air Dragon to fire a tornado right into the back of his head. Aria screeched and lunged upward, snapping his jaws at her, but the small dragonelle danced around his windy body quickly.

"Erza, this is going to take forever!" Wendy muttered as she retreated to her friend's side, "My attacks are hurting him, but they aren't doing much real damage."

"Don't worry, I'm thinking up a plan." the Blade Dragonelle replied, "I just need a bit more time to analyze his movements. Just a little longer, Wendy."

Aria lunged at them and forced the two dragonelles to pull away. He pursued Erza, decided to take out the bigger enemy first. She narrowed her eyes at him.

I'm one of Fairy Tail's strongest dragonelles. On my pride, I'll find a way to utterly crush you.

/

"MAN!"

Elfman rammed Sol head on, making the Earth Drake screech and recoil from the sheer force. The Beast Drake was much bigger and heavier than Sol, and he used that to his full advantage. No matter if his scale was relatively weak compared to most other dragons, Elfman didn't need much defense compared to the sheer bulk and power he possessed.

"Good, Elfman! Keep him busy!"

Mira lunged in from behind the enemy dragon and fired a beam of darkness from her jaws. The energy almost made direct contact, but Sol dug at the last second into the ground. Instead of damaging him, Mira's breath created a huge shockwave that blew apart several building.

She cursed, "Shoot! Where'd he go?!"

Elfman, still standing on the ground, reared up and glaring at the earth around him.

The attack came from directly below. Sol exploded from the ground to ram his earthen horns into Elfman's jaw, making him spit red as he bit his tongue from recoil. The Beast Drake staggered back and shook himself, snarling angrily at his enemy, "Damn, that hurts!"

"Elfman, stop messing around!" Mira shouted, "He's getting to you way to easily!"

"I know already, sis!" Elfman growled and slashed at the enemy dragon with his huge claws, but Sol dove back into the ground and dodged.

"Non non non!" Sol chanted, annoying the crap out of Elfman as the Earth Drake kept taunting the much larger dragon.

Mira's eyes narrowed, "This guy…what a pain."

She banked steeply and dove at the enemy dragon, eyes locked on her target. Sol noticed her and burrowed into the ground again.

You're just screwing yourself over.

Mira landed right over the hole where Sol had vanished and inhaled deeply. After charging every bit of dark energy she could, the Demon Dragonelle fired her breath attack straight into the Earth Drake's escape route.

The earth around them flashed with black cracks, then exploded with a mighty roar, blowing apart buildings from below.

Elfman was thrown into the air from the force, "O-oi! Watch it, sis!"

Sol got off much worse than Elfman, though.

The Earth Drake shrieked as Mira's dark breath pulverized his scales and sent him hurtling away through the ground. By the time he burst through the surface, he had already fainted, but the sheer force of the dragonelle's attack made him go flipping into the mountainside.

When his unconscious body came to a rest, Sol was lying upside down in a heap, trapped in the rock of the mountain.

Mira huffed proudly and turned her gaze skyward to shout, "Beat that, Erza!"

Elfman sweat dropped, "Why are you so nice most of the time, and so damn crazy when you fight?"

His sister smiled cheerfully, "Because I love beating Erza!"

/

Erza, meanwhile, heard Mirajane's challenge loud and clear.

"Grr…I'll definitely outdo you, Mira!" she roared.

Wendy gave her an awkward stare, "Eh? What?"

Aria charged them again, forcing Erza to fly up quickly to dodge his rush. She flipped in midair so she was facing the Air Drake's open back and shouted, "Wendy, use your breath on me!"

"You- huh?!"

"Just do it!"

Wendy didn't look like she thought it was a good idea at all, but she inhaled quickly and fired a tornado at Erza from behind. Her breath sent the Blade Dragonelle rocketing forward, locking onto Aria before he could stop and turn.

I've analyzed your movements. You're strong in a head on attack, but you can only charge straight in one direction and have to stop completely before turning!

Erza flapped her wings to bolster her speed even more. The moment Aria stopped completely to turn was the moment her bladed body tore right through him.

Aria screeched in agony.

Enhanced with the wind from Wendy's breath and her own sword-sharp scales, Erza's rush sliced through Aria's stormy body and broke up the twisters keeping him together. Unable to control his own winds and keep himself airborne, the Air Drake was sent spiraling down from the sky and crashed into the street below. His bright purple eyes became unseeing as he passed out, his body struggling to reshape itself.

Erza smirked in satisfaction and shouted back at her rival, "How was that, Mirajane?!"

"Not bad! It's a tie, for now!" was the reply.

Wendy sighed. Did they seriously just see this as a competition?

/

Gray spat a blast of freezing energy at Juvia, but she had learned by now and avoided it completely rather than try to counter the attack.

"Grr-rah!" Juvia growled and slammed her tail into Gray with a forward flip.

He grunted as her attack caught him in the side and made him stagger in midair. Gray turned and hissed, "You're good, Juvia. But water can't beat ice!"

The Ice Drake fired another freezing breath attack, but to his surprise, Juvia countered this time with her own breath. More surprising still was that her water didn't freeze. It was steaming.

Boiling water? She can even alter the temperature?

Even if she was under Jose's control, it looked like Juvia was still smart enough to find away around Gray's ice. Before he knew it, her whole liquid body started boiling.

The next time she slammed into him, Gray bellowed, "Damn, that's hot!"

"Shiii!" hissed the dragonelle.

It burned enough to make Gray just mad enough to take a risk, "Sorry about this!"

Gray twisted his head and sank his fangs into her neck. Even though her water scalded his mouth, he put every bit of cold energy he could into the bite and cooled that part of Juvia enough to get a grip on her.

Juvia screeched as the bite started to hurt her body. The Ice Drake dragged himself over her back and sunk his claws in, freezing that part too. Now with a firm grip on the dragonelle, Gray's weight started forcing her out of the sky.

Once her back was totally frozen over, Gray slowed their descent a little so he wouldn't shatter Juvia when they hit the ground. She wriggled furiously to get free, but with the Ice Drake's fangs and claws holding onto her, it was futile. Her boiling water was already cooling, and with it, her will to fight.

Gray set Juvia carefully on the street and backed off to look at her straight on. The Water Dragonelle was now totally frozen solid.

He sighed and sat down, not really sure what to do now. Juvia's scent was still there, so Gray knew she wasn't dead, but more than likely he had forced her into a sort of cryostasis.

The Ice Drake's ears pricked and he glanced to the other end of the city, where fireballs were being launched everywhere. He shrugged and lay down, deciding to take a nap for the time being.

I'll just make Natsu melt her out when he finishes off that other dragon.

/

"Grraaahhh!"

Natsu slashed another deep wound into Totomaru's wing, making the enemy dragon shriek and stagger backwards. He lowered his head and charged again, ramming his horns into the Blazing Dragon's chest and knocking him over.

Totomaru snarled and tried to stand up, but Natsu put a massive paw on his neck and glared at him, "Stay down if you know what's good for you."

"Never!"

The Fire Drake growled, "Your funeral."

He opened his jaws and sank his fangs into Totomaru's shoulder, then began devouring the other drake's fire.

Totomaru screeched and tried to get away. Natsu's other foot slammed down into the Blazing Drake's side and kept him still while he continued to eat his enemy's flaming body alive. After a minute or so, the struggle to escape from Natsu's grasp was too much of an effort for the weakening Blazing Dragon.

He groaned as his head flopped onto the ground.

Natsu released him and bared his fangs, "You can thank my father for teaching me that trick. He told me that's how he used to beat down Atlas Flame when he was the Flame Dragon King. Take a nap, Fire Dragon."

With Totomaru defeated, Natsu's gaze trailed skyward, finding Jose still upon Gajeel.

The only difference was that they were almost right on top of him.

Natsu's eyes widened and he leaped away as Gajeel's fangs snapped shut right where his neck had been just a moment earlier. The Iron Drake unleashed a breath attack of steel blades, cutting at the Fire Drake's crimson scales. Even with the Dragon Armor, Gajeel's breath found the unguarded parts of his body and sliced into him.

"Tch!" he snarled and jumped into the air. Gajeel pursued him, Jose smiling wickedly on his head.

Natsu glared at the dark sorcerer, "You bastard…"

"I'm taking you this time, Fire Dragon!" Jose cackled, then pointed his hand and fired beams of black energy.

"Like hell you are!" Natsu roared and weaved through the air around the dark rays, avoiding them as best he could.

(Natsu!)

He glanced down at the Thunder Hall and saw Lucy staring at him. (Get down here! I can't reinforce your mental defenses this far away!)

Natsu hesitated to go down and pick her up, but his pause gave Jose the chance to blast him in the side with a burst of dark magic. (I'm a little busy at the moment!)

"Guoo!" the Fire Drake snarled and retreated further away to avoid more of the sorcerer's magic.

"Kahahahahahaha!" Jose's sick laughter pissed Natsu off even more. The evil man grinned, "Let's tame you a bit before I put a collar on your neck!"

"Burn in hell, bastard!" Natsu roared and unleashed a massive torrent of fire.

Jose sneered, making Gajeel counter with an equally powerful breath attack of iron blades.

The two breaths collided and exploded violently, making the air shake. Many of the shades flying around shrieked and were immediately vaporized.

Natsu used the resulting smokescreen to dive straight at where his enemy had been. Gajeel had yet to move, and the Fire Drake bared his fangs in a snarl as he rammed into the Iron Drake.

Jose knelt to hold onto Gajeel's horns, looking mildly annoyed as his mount lost some of his aerial balance. Gajeel snarled and tried to slash at Natsu with his claws, but the other dragon flipped and dove under them, bolting for the Thunder Hall.

"Lucy, jump on!" Natsu roared, whipping around for a turn so he approached the Thunder Hall entrance broadside.

The blonde girl swallowed and watched as he came flying towards her, Gajeel and Jose in hot pursuit. When he was almost there, she said a quick prayer and leaped out into open air.

She landed on Natsu's back with great timing, but nearly impaled herself on one of the drake's black spines. Quickly shifting her position, Lucy sat in the joint between his shoulders and held on tight as Natsu spun midair to face the oncoming Gajeel and Jose.

For a moment, the world went totally silent.

The two drakes crashed into each other, biting and slashing and roaring their fury. Natsu's burning fangs bit into Gajeel's arm and ripped at the iron scales. Gajeel in turn stabbed his horns into Natsu's armored shoulder and almost sliced off Lucy's leg at the same time.

She quickly pulled her legs up a bit to avoid a similar attack, holding on to Natsu as he spun to slash at Gajeel's face with his claws and spit a huge fireball at the enemy dragon.

The Iron Drake was blown backwards from the force, snarling in anger. Jose smirked atop Gajeel, "Impressive power. Indeed a worthy specimen for my collection."

"Natsu isn't yours! And neither is Gajeel!" Lucy shouted.

"The Iron Dragon is completely under my influence." he sneered back, "And once I have you…kukuku. I do believe a promotion is about to come my way. How lucky that I'll be a part of the Balam Alliance so quickly!"

Natsu glared at him, "Balam Alliance?"

"Oh, did I say too much? No matter- you don't need to know." Jose snickered and thrust his hand out, "Now, come to me!"

Natsu tensed. (Here it comes, Lucy!)

(I know!) she answered, focusing all her magic power into reinforcing Natsu's mind.

Jose's black aura connected, making the Fire Drake stagger.

Even with his mental defenses as guarded as they were, the sheer force Jose exerted on them was ridiculously powerful. Natsu gritted his teeth in pain; it felt like the sorcerer was trying to rip his very being out of his body.

The evil man's eyes narrowed as he realized Natsu wasn't going to be such an easy catch. He barked, "Crush him!"

Gajeel roared and lunged, but Natsu flapped twice to get above him and snapped with huge fangs at Jose. He missed the man's head, but left a deep cut in his enemy's back. Jose howled and lost concentration, giving up the assault on Natsu's mind.

Lucy pumped her fist in the air, "Nice, Natsu!"

"You damn beast!" Jose spat angrily and fired a massive beam of darkness. The energy caught Natsu clean in his unarmored stomach and knocked the wind out of him, making the drake stagger in midair.

"Gaaahh!" Natsu screeched and recoiled, stunned from the force. (That human's damn strong!)

(I can't believe he can do that much damage to you.) Lucy sounded worried. (Dragon scale is almost impossible for normal magicians to pierce.)

Natsu dove under a rush made by Gajeel, then spun to spit a fireball after the Iron Drake. (It's not that it can pierce, the damn magic just hurts like a bitch!)

Lucy frowned. (Then why are you still smiling and exhilarated?)

His sharp fangs were indeed bared in a crazy grin, "It feel's like my blood's boiling…I ain't ever had a fight this good before!"

Jose snickered, "Obsessed with fighting, are we? Good. You'll be a merciless combat machine when you're under my command."

Gajeel started flying up into the sky. Natsu raced after him.

When the wind became too loud for her to speak, Lucy switched the telepathy back on. (Be careful! You can't let your guard down against this guy!)

(I know that!)

Gajeel finally stopped climbing and charged down at them, releasing another gale of iron blades from his jaws. Natsu retaliated with a blaze of fire that created another violent explosion.

This time, Jose used the smokescreen to his advantage.

Another beam of dark magic caught Natsu in the face, making him roar in pain and momentarily blinding the Fire Drake.

The Iron Dragon seized his chance.

Gajeel lunged down and clamped his jaws onto Natsu's neck, right at the base of his skull. His armor protected him from the sharp metal fangs, but the pressure was enough to make Natsu screech. Gajeel's claws grabbed at his wing and arm, making the two dragons fall out of the sky.

Lucy squeezed her eyes shut. (Natsu, pull up!)

(I can't!) he screeched back. (Gajeel's weight is too much!)

They were falling right for the Thunder Hall.

/

Erza and Wendy saw Gajeel grab Natsu and start tearing him and Lucy from the sky.

"We have to help them!" Wendy gasped.

"I'm not sure we have that luxury right now." Erza muttered, eyeing the dark portal in the air where shades were pouring out like an endless flood. The dragons who had been destroying them from the beginning were getting tired, but stubbornly refused to give even though every shade they killed was replaced by ten more.

That had to be stopped, or they would be overrun by sheer numbers.

"Natsu and Lucy will have to fend for themselves, for now. Let's deal with those things, then we'll try to assist them. Come on, Wendy!"

/

Gajeel was still dragging Natsu out of the air, falling ever closer towards the entrance to the Thunder Hall.

"Lemme go, you scrap metal bastard!" Natsu roared and breathed a river of fire at Gajeel point blank. The Iron Drake howled, but the blazing assault was halted as Jose's dark aura tried to gain control of Natsu's mind once again, forcing him to concentrate on mental defenses.

Lucy kept reinforcing his mind, but was getting scared. The Thunder Hall was just a few hundred meters away. (Natsu, we're going to crash!)

Natsu glanced down to see the huge mountain entrance rushing up and growled. (The moment I hit the ground, jump off of me and roll away as far as you can. If you don't I'll crush you or one of my spikes'll run you right through.)

(What about you?)

(Who knows!)

He winced as Jose tried to force himself once more into his mind, but Natsu's free arm came around and rammed into Gajeel's jaw, forcing the Iron Drake to release him. Jose's concentration was broken and the mental assault ceased, but now Gajeel pulled back a moment like a bull, then charged straight into Natsu's chest. The blow stunned the Fire Drake and forced them into the entrance to the Thunder Hall.

Natsu was crushed into the ground and skidded across the floor like a meteorite, screeching as the crash landing cracked scale and destroyed pieces of the armor along his tail and back.

Lucy dove off a moment before Natsu's whole back slammed into the ground. She landed and shrieked at the accelerated impact that bruised her all over and made her ankle twist painfully. It almost felt like a break and Lucy had to bite her lip to stop herself from crying at the pain.

She opened one eye to see Natsu pinned under Gajeel, dazed and struggling to regain his footing. The Iron Drake's talon-like foot came up and grabbed the fallen dragon's face before stomping it into the floor. Natsu grunted in pain, clawing at his enemy in an effort to get him off.

Jose leaped off of Gajeel and walked up to Natsu's face. He crouched and sneered, keeping himself out of Natsu's breath range, "Has this tamed you a little, Fire Dragon? Just submit-?!"

Natsu's clawed hand came around like a flash of red lightning and grabbed Jose. His fangs dripped burning saliva as he snarled, "You haven't tamed shit! Now let Gajeel go, or I'll snap you like a twig, you goddamn human!"

The dark sorcerer seemed a little stunned. He still has this much strength after being crushed like that?!

Natsu's huge fist squeezed and knocked the wind out of Jose, but the evil man's eyes bulged in rage, "You think it'll be that easy, you brat?! You're just another beast for my collection! Break him!"

Gajeel's foot on Natsu's skull moved to stomp his chest, then the Iron Drake's two clawed hands gripped the pinned Fire Drake's jaws and yanked them open, pulling them back until it hurt.

Natsu's tail flailed and he struggled to get free. Gajeel wasn't far off from totally breaking his jaws in half.

But instead of letting Jose go, Natsu squeezed until the man shrieked in pain.

The Fire Drake's eye pinned the sorcerer with a look of battle-lusted fury, "Let's see who bites the dust first! You or me!"

"Useless!" Jose howled, forcing just enough of his dark aura out to stop Natsu momentarily. When the pressure lifted slightly, Jose went into a full scale mental assault, making Natsu screech in pain and release the sorcerer from his iron grip.

The sorcerer cackled, "You're as good as mine, Fire Dragon!"

"Like hell he is!"

Jose shrieked as Lucy smashed the back of his head with a fist-sized rock, making him stagger and fall to his knees. Furious beyond belief, he lunged around and struck her in the face, knocking the girl over.

Dark energy charged in his hand as Jose screamed at her in his rage, "Enough of you shitty priestesses! Vanish into black and die!"

Lucy squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the magic to fire.

Crunch.

The sickening sound was followed by a moment of silence, then an ear-splitting scream. Lucy opened her eyes wide and gasped.

Natsu was on his feet again and had his fangs buried in Jose's body from the waist up. The sorcerer was shrieking and screaming in agony as the dragon's massive razor sharp teeth ripped into him.

The Fire Drake reared up on two legs and snarled as he began to shake his head rapidly from side to side like a terrier with a rat in its jaws. Lucy could hear the sickening screams and sounds of bones snapping from his mouth as Jose was ripped apart.

"Good job, blondie!"

Lucy's eyes flashed to the voice, which came from Gajeel. His eyes no longer had the blank look in them, and he bared his fangs in an enraged snarl Jose, "You gave that bastard a hard enough smack for me to break out of his damn spell! Salamander, kill 'em!"

"RRROOAAAAAAAHHH!"

With a furious bellow, Natsu brought his head back and threw Jose into the mountain wall. The impact left a crater and revealed that the sorcerer was practically bitten in half, but it wasn't enough for the two maddened dragons.

"GO TO HELL!"

Natsu and Gajeel both let loose a full payload of dragon breath, blowing a hole straight through the mountainside with an overwhelming explosion. The force of the blast made Lucy fall back onto the ground and roll away with a squeal.

"Kyaa!"

/

The other Fairy Tail dragons were still fighting the shades when the portal in the sky glowed and disappeared. The remaining shades screeched and vanished.

At the same time, a massive shockwave tore out of the Thunder Hall entrance.

Erza sighed in relief, "Natsu and Lucy did it…not a moment too soon."

/

Even though Jose was certainly dead by now, the two enraged drakes kept pouring out ever bit of bloodlust and battle-fury with their raging breath. The wall of the mountain was obliterated nonstop for several seconds. By the time Natsu and Gajeel's wrath was spent, a huge new cavern had been formed, the insides crimson and sizzling with molten iron and rock.

Lucy sat up and stared at the devastation, "I think you guys overdid it…"

Natsu spat a small fireball, "Pff."

"To hell with him." Gajeel snapped, "I need to get this human stink off my head."


	26. Flame Chasing

Chapter 26: Flame Chasing 

"RUN! GET OUT OF THE CITY!"

Dawn had yet to start, leaving the sky dark and ensuring that whatever was attacking the city was kept hidden. Alarm bells were going off loudly in watch towers as fire burned in the streets amidst screaming people. They ran wildly, terrified because no one knew what was happening so early in the morning darkness.

A sentry continued yelling so the people beneath his tower would have some sort of direction, "Keep moving! Get to the outskirts and-!"

BOOM!

The tower exploded as a massive objects swiped it in half, sending bricks and huge chunks of stone flying everywhere. Some crashed into houses or the streets, but a few ended up killing people who didn't see the projectiles coming their way. More screams followed, growing shrill with horror.

Whatever the enemy was, it blew over a few more houses with loud roars and crushing attacks for several more minutes before suddenly growing silent.

Two soldiers, the last survivors to evacuate, froze as they saw a huge, dark-colored maw dip down and sniff at something in a destroyed house. The air remained still-

"GGRRROOOOOAAAAAAHHHH!"

The attacker lifted it's head and bellowed at the top of its mighty lungs, then spun in a circle and unleashed a ferocious assault with huge claws. Houses were torn apart just by the shockwaves as the beast shredded everything in sight.

The two soldiers flinched instinctively and fled.

With a snarl, the beast shook its head irritably and flew skyward. It sucked in a deep breath, then unleashed a sphere of infernal energy at the ravaged city.

The damage was catastrophic. The epicenter of the attack vaporized everything around it and the resulting shockwave ripped through what remained of the city and the dead or dying people. Without even a backwards glance, the attacker flew off.

It looked as though a meteor had hit the earth. After just ten minutes, there was no sign that a human city had even existed.

Two months had passed since Phantom Lord's attack on Magnolia and the Fairy Tail Thunder.

Since then, the city had been patched up to it's former glory and any who had been injured had successfully recovered. The dragons had since settled down a bit, enjoying the peaceful days to the fullest. Totomaru, Aria, and Sol had since gone their separate ways after thanking the Fairy Tail dragons for freeing them from Jose's evil spell, but Juvia had opted to stay.

So, a now typical morning was upon the city as it woke up to a new morning. And as usual…

"Yaaaaawn…" Natsu's jaws opened wide, baring his great white fangs. He snorted slightly as if to shrug off the sleepiness and blinked lazily.

"Morning!"

He glanced towards the entrance to his cavern as Lucy walked inside with a happy smile. The teenage girl had a talent for waking up before her dragon partner, though one could argue Natsu just slept after his typical pre-dawn flight. He often grew restless in the night and would get up just before dawn frequently to fly around the sky above Magnolia.

Natsu left his head on the cavern floor and closed his eyes again, deciding to crash for just a little longer.

"Ah-ah. Get up." Lucy told him.

"Hrr."

Which pretty much meant: No.

"Come on, Natsu…" Lucy walked over and climbed onto his neck just behind the drake's skull, grabbing the black horns to balance herself. When the dragon completely ignored her, she prodded his scales with one hand. "Why are you always so stubborn?"

"Why are you always so noisy when I'm sleeping?" he growled back.

She giggled slightly. "Come on. Erza said that you'd better get breakfast now, because there's a meeting at noon."

Natsu blinked his eyes open again and rumbled in annoyance, but stood up anyways. Lucy stayed on his neck as the dragon stretched and strained every muscle in his body. She smiled as he yawned again. "Is it just me, or are your horns getting longer?"

"They do that." Natsu replied as he walked out of the cave. "Dragon's don't stop growing, remember? I'll start growing a little slower though now that I'm nearly full grown."

"It's not just your horns, the color on your neck is getting way more vibrant." Lucy remarked. "The pink marks just used to sort of blend with your red scales, but now they're just about glowing. What's that about?"

Natsu shrugged. "Dunno."

"Wow, Lucy actually managed to get you up."

That was Wendy greeting them as she padded up from her own cave. The little blue dragonelle had a happy smile on her face. "Let me guess- Lucy said there was food, right?"

"There better be food, whether she said it or not!" Natsu remarked as his belly rumbled loudly in agreement.

Erza came over at this point. "Don't worry, there is. We'll be eating at Layla's this morning. If you need more, you can catch something on the trip."

The Flame Drake blinked. "Trip? What trip?"

"You'll hear about it at breakfast, so let's hurry! We're the last ones to leave, I think." Lucy urged.

The mansion where Lucy lived was filled with people- some were actual humans, some were the dragons, but either way, it was packed, even for a mansion.

Natsu stared for several moments after he and the other dragons landed. "What's going on?"

Lucy shook her head. "Not sure, but it must be really serious…"

"I agree." Erza murmured as she transformed into a human. "There are people here from cities a good distance away. I wonder what…"

"Anyway, let's go inside." Wendy interjected.

"All of you, quiet down please!"

That was Jude Heartfilia, whose loud voice managed to silence the din in the huge dining hall. As everyone in the room settled down, he nodded firmly. "Thank you for coming here. I'm sure at least some of you know why I called this meeting so early, and I apologize for the inconvenience, but we'll have to save breakfast until after this is addressed. Makarov, if you'd please…"

The Fairy Tail Leader stood on the table to make sure he was seen in his tiny human form. He cleared his throat and began. "I'll be frank. One week ago, there was an attack on a city sitting at the edge of the sea between our northern continent of Fiore and the southern continent of Pri-mal. According to the survivors, about ten minutes after the attack began, the city was totally annihilated. There's just rubble left, now."

Shocked gasps and murmurs filled the room. Erza shouted above the exclamations. "Master, how many were-"

"Four hundred dead in ten minutes." Makarov stated flatly.

Silence filled the room.

Mira stared at the Leader. "What could do something like that?"

Makarov shook his head. "That's the problem…we aren't sure. The attack happened in the dead of night. We don't know anything about the attacker…except for one thing. It was almost certainly a dragon."

"Well, no shit." Gajeel grunted. "We're the only creatures out there who could devastate a city that quickly."

"Even you would have trouble destroying a city of this size single-handedly." Makarov remarked. "In such a short time span and as thoroughly? There's just a crater left where a city once stood. This dragon is incredibly powerful."

Jude glanced at him. "What do you suggest we do?"

Makarov scratched his chin. "I want a team sent over to investigate the remains of the city and find whatever they can. We must know our enemy before we make a move. This dragon has shown no hesitation towards acts of genocide and must be considered extremely dangerous."

Gray cracked his knuckles. "So who's gonna go? I'd like to-"

"-Gramps, that city…was it by any chance called Rosemary?" Natsu asked.

Makarov's eyes narrowed. "Yes…how do you know that?"

…I guess it's about time I head back there. I hope that she's okay… Natsu muttered. "I know where the city is. I've been there before. I'll lead the team."

Erza glanced at him in surprise. "What? When?"

Natsu crossed his arms. "That's not something I like talking about. I've just been there before, okay?"

Makarov eyed him quietly, then nodded. "Fine. You can lead the team. I'd like this team to have at least five or six other dragons in it. We can't take this enemy too lightly, whoever it is. Any volunteers?"

"I'm going." Erza said.

Gray nodded. "Me too."

"I'll go as well." Gajeel stepped up.

"Then my brother, sister and I will round out the rest of the team." Mira suggested. Beside her, Elfman and Lisanna agreed.

Makarov grunted. "That should do. Layla, I would like to ask you to go as well. If you encounter any of the survivors, maybe you can glean something about this enemy dragon from their memories."

Layla nodded. "I agree. Lucy, you should come as well."

"I will." Lucy replied.

Natsu turned around. "Then let's go."

Erza stared at him. "Aren't you hungry?"

"We can eat on the way." the Fire Drake growled. "It'll take us a few days to get there anyway. Let's fly. Now."

(Of all people, you're the last one I expected to turn down food.) Lucy remarked.

The dragons were flying fast, with Natsu at the lead and Lucy riding on his back. Layla was on Erza, leaving the other dragons bare-backed as they flew for Rosemary.

Natsu snorted. (I can eat later. I've gone hungry before.)

(Are you thinking about that girl you helped seven years ago?) she asked.

He was quiet for a while. Natsu wasn't sure he wanted to answer that. It was in his nature to be stubborn, and he really didn't want to admit he was worried about any human. But honestly, he did care about Kagura enough to be concerned for her safety. The young girl had helped him and his mother once before, so she deserved his protection if he could provide it.

(…Kagura is a survivor, like me.) Natsu thought to Lucy. (I'm sure she's fine.)

"N-no! Please! Sto-aggghaa!"

Screams were filling the air in a small town as a huge dragon rampaged, tearing apart building after building and snarling furiously.

A man with a crossbow fired a few bolts at the monster, but after ignoring the first shots, the dragon spun and impaled its antagonizer with huge tail spikes. More screams tore out of the humans watching. With a flick of its tail, the dragon sent the body flying off of its spines and roared ferociously.

"WHERE IS HE?!"

The dragon blasted the town square with a torrent of fire, incinerating anything and everything in its range. After burning more of the humans to nothing but ashes, it glared around for anything still living and snarled when its eyes found a pair of them making a run for the nearby woods.

With a massive leap, the dragon cleared the remains of the town and landed in front of the humans, blocking their path. They screamed and tried to back up, but tripped and fell.

Any attempt to get up was stopped as the dragon shoved its head forward and pinned them with a furious glare. It bared sword-sized fangs at the horrified people and growled. "Tell me what I want to know, or I'll eat you. Do you understand me, insects?!"

"Y-yes!" One of the humans yelped as it clutched to its partner.

The beast snorted in satisfaction. "Good. I'm looking for another dragon, a red drake with salmon colored markings on his neck. He's a fire dragon like me. Sound familiar?"

"U-um…" the second human was trembling in fear, but nodded slightly.

The dragon had no patience for hesitancy. "Do you know a dragon like that or not?!"

"Eek! Y-yes! I've seen one like it!" the human shrieked.

"His name! What was his name?!" the dragon roared.

"I-I can't really-"

"ANSWER ME, YOU BLASTED INSECT!"

The screams coming from the two humans were drowned out by the dragon's bellow. There was rage and frustration emanating from the beast in a way that only a dragon could feel. It's fangs were just itching to dismember the pair, but the human's stuttering held the lethal weapons at bay.

"N-Natsu! I think that was it! A Fire Dragon called Natsu, right?!"

The dragon went still. It's eyes grew wide.

Natsu!

"When did you see him?" the dragon demanded.

The first human gulped. "H-he's been raiding this area for a while with a couple of other dragons. We were hiding from him once and heard him talking with another dragon…a big one made of steel or something. That's really all we know about him…we haven't seen him in a few months now…"

The humans had been forgotten by now. The dragon lifted its huge skull and stared skyward.

He's alive! He MUST be alive!

With a triumphant roar, the dragon jumped into the air and flew off, not even bothering to finish the job it had started on the devastated town. In fact, it failed to notice that the humans it had interrogated so viciously had messed themselves.

The dragons were in the middle of flying their second day when Natsu stopped midair and breathed in the air deeply.

Lucy tilted her head and patted his scales. "Natsu? What's up?"

Erza had flown slightly ahead and turned to glance at them. "We must be close. I can see the coast…Natsu?"

The Flame Drake sniffed the air and narrowed his eyes. "I know this scent…"

Elfman grunted. "It smells like a dragon, but I don't recognize it."

"It smells like ashes, if you ask me." Gray snorted in disgust.

Natsu ignored him and took another deep breath to get another whiff of the scent. His eyes suddenly grew wide.

Lucy frowned. "Nats-eeek!"

Without warning, Natsu spun around midair and bolted in the opposite direction, flying as fast as he could despite the protests behind him.

"Natsu!" Erza roared. "Where the hell are you going?!"

(Natsu!) Lucy tried to communicate with the dragon using telepathy, but Natsu shut her out instantly and just picked up speed. The girl on his back held on tightly and squeezed her eyes closed as wind blasted by.

Erza growled and took control. "Lisanna, Mira, go after him. Gray, Elfman, Gajeel, you're with me. We can find the city on our own by now."

"What's got him so freaked out?" Gray wondered.

Gajeel stared after his comrade. "It must be pretty serious. Salamander doesn't flip like that for no reason. Something's up, that's for sure."

On Erza's back, Layla frowned. "Let's investigate quickly and regroup with them. I have a bad feeling about this."

(Natsu!) Lucy had been trying to break through the Fire Drake's mental barrier for over ten minutes now. He'd flown for miles and miles away from the city they were supposed to be going towards. Behind them, Mira and Lisanna were just barely managing to keep up with Natsu's crazed flight.

(Hey! Listen to me!)

Natsu continued to fly and ignored her. He seemed driven to fly in this particular direction, wherever he thought he was going.

(HEY!)

"GRAHH! WHAT?!" Natsu roared, finally slowing down enough to turn his head and bellow at Lucy.

Lucy winced at the force of his roar and glared at him, puffing up her cheek in indignation. "Wanna explain what you're freaking out for?!"

"Natsu, we really need to get back to Erza!" Mira shouted as they caught up at last to the Fire Drake.

"What's wrong?" Lisanna asked.

Natsu kept on flying, though he did slow up the pace. He snorted in annoyance. "Why didn't you just ask me instead of yelling in my head, Lucy?"

Lucy did her best to smack the dragon's scales, but it only served to hurt her own hand. While she angrily nursed the sore limb, she snapped at Natsu. "Gee, maybe because I couldn't talk? You were kind of going so fast through the wind that I could barely hear myself think! What's gotten you so riled up?"

"I caught that dragon's scent." Natsu replied. "And I'm going after him."

"Natsu, that's crazy!" Lisanna gasped. "You heard Master, right? This dragon is really dangerous! He's-"

"No, he's not! I don't know why he's here, but he's not a threat to me!" he retorted.

Mira stared at him. "Wait- you know this dragon?!"

Lucy frowned. "How's that possible?"

"I know him." Natsu confirmed. "It's been over seven years, but I would recognize that scent anywhere. It's definitely him…"

"Smaug!"


	27. An Explosive Reunion

Chapter 27: An Explosive Reunion 

"Who's Smaug?" Lucy asked.

Natsu continued flying with Lisanna and Mirajane beside him as he explained. "He's a Fire Dragon like me. He's my dad's rival…or was, I guess."

Mira offered a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry. So you haven't seen him in a long time, huh?"

"Not since before I got my wings." he replied. "Smaug didn't visit very often. My mother and father were always pretty reluctant to let him near me."

"Why?" Lisanna tilted her head.

Natsu smirked. "That old devil…he's a real beast. He's insanely strong and I guess he's a bit of a loose cannon. My parents were always wary of him because they thought he was gonna kill me."

"Well geez, if I had a kid, I'd be worried about a dragon like that being around them, too." Lucy remarked. "But you're still here, so I guess your parents kept you safe, right?"

"Nah. Smaug wasn't ever gonna kill me." Natsu assured.

"What makes you say that?" Lisanna asked.

The Fire Drake grinned. "He had plenty of chances, but never did. Plus he told me that he just likes being seen as a badass killer dragon. I guess Smaug was kinda complicated like that, huh? Hahahaha!"

Lucy sweat-dropped. "Is this guy dangerous, or not?"

Mira frowned. "Well, he might be friendly to you, but what about us?"

"Eh…" Natsu thought about that for a second and muttered. "Not sure."

"Not the most comforting thing I've heard all day." Lisanna decided.

"Can you tell how far away he is?" Mira asked.

Natsu sniffed the air. "Not far. I think he's searching the territory for something."

"What could he be searching for here?" Lucy wondered.

"Most likely?" the Flame Drake clenched his talons. "Me."

Smaug flew on, not sure where to look, but he searched for any sign of the young dragon he'd been trying to find since news came of Acnologia's attack on Igneel and his family. He had sworn to the other dragons at the Flame Capitol that he would return with Igneel's son, or not at all. More importantly, he also happened to be the best tracker and hunter among at LEAST the Fire Dragons.

If anyone could find Natsu, he could. Smaug had found what was believed to be gone forever, once before.

With an irritated snarl, he shook off that last, unpleasant thought. Of course, the knowledge that humans had possessed one of Natsu's scales made his tracking methods a bit violent, but he had believed that the young dragon may have been killed by them. It was natural for him to throttle humans, he reasoned.

If Natsu's made it this far, he must be alive…

He decided to get a feel for the surrounding area by flying upwards, where he could see places that Natsu might be. So he flew with all his might to the blue of the sky, stopping only when he could see vast darkness peeking through the blue.

At his peak in the stratosphere, Smaug flared his wings out and just hovered over the vast, unknown continent. Mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, deserts, even frozen wastelands and a volcano…it was all there. Countless places for dragons to hide.

He growled in annoyance. This might take a while longer than he thought.

But as he watched, Smaug's sharp eyes picked out movement below, not far from where he'd been flying earlier. With the size of the objects, of which he counted three, he knew they must be dragons. The one in the middle, in fact…was crimson red.

If I've got any luck, I'd like to use it now!

With a bellow, Smaug went straight into free fall, diving at the three dragons so he wouldn't lose them. His pale orange eyes locked onto his target and didn't waver even a millimeter. The closer he got, the more excited Smaug became.

The red dragon he saw had the curved horns of an adolescent drake. His claws were pitch-black, his scales the color of flames. Every detail Smaug saw had his blood boiling more and more-

The salmon colored flames on the side of the young dragon's neck became visible to him.

Smaug couldn't resist roaring in triumph.

"Naaatsuuuu!"

The three dragons below stopped dead and whipped their heads straight up. The two white colored ones on the sides immediately backed up several meters, but the crimson drake bared his fangs in an almost crazed grin-

"I KNEW IT!"

Smaug roared again, not slowing his free fall until the very last moment when he was face to face with the young Fire Drake he'd been searching so long for. Natsu roared in return and flew giddily in a circle around the larger dragon, grinning from ear to ear. He finally came to a hover before Smaug's victorious gaze.

"It's been forever, old man!" Natsu exclaimed.

"You damn brat! You had me searching over every corner of the bloody planet!" Smaug chuckled. He bared his teeth smugly. "I knew Igneel's family was just too stubborn to be wiped out so easily. You're a sight for sore eyes, boy. I'm glad you're alive."

Natsu smiled happily. "So am I!"

"Um…"

Smaug blinked as the two dragons who'd been with Natsu hesitantly approached them. They looked very similar, but one had black feathers and the other had stripes like a tiger similar to his own. He identified both as dragonelles- almost definitely sisters in his eyes.

"Oh, right!" Natsu glanced at the pair in turn. "These are my friends! Lisanna has the stripes, Mira's the one with the dark wings."

"It's nice to meet you…I think?" Lisanna gulped.

Mira also looked a bit uneasy. "Sorry, Natsu, but…he's a lot- a lot- bigger than we anticipated…"

"Don't worry, he's harmless." Natsu shrugged off.

Smaug glanced at the young drake sharply. "Harmless, eh?"

Natsu seemed to recognize that the elder dragon wasn't about to let that one off so easily. He grinned ferociously. "Lisanna, mind grabbing Lucy for me? She's not gonna wanna be a part of this."

Smaug raised a scaled eyebrow. "Lucy? Who is-"

His jaw just about fell off when he saw Lisanna delicately pick up a human female off of Natsu's back. How had he not seen that?

"…Damn. You've become a human pet over these last years…" Smaug growled.

Natsu's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

"You let a human on your back while it's still breathing?" Smaug's upper lip curled in a sneer. "Does it feed you and caress you as well? Pet dragon."

"What was that?" Natsu snarled.

Lisanna and Mira backed up, but not before Lisanna pointed out something important. "Uh, Natsu…you..do realize that he's…well, twice as big as you are, right? Fighting him is..it's suicide…"

That may have been an understatement.

Even though Natsu had grown immense over the last seven years, Smaug was gargantuan. Nearly a hundred feet long, with some bones thicker than tree trunks and scales tough as armor, but laced with the scars of past battles. Although he had no front arms, his wings were huge enough to blot out the sun, and three talons on each wing acted as hands for the giant drake. He had three rows of spikes on the end of his whiplike tail and spines protruding from the base of his skull. Teeth the size of swords and flickering fire breath wrapped up the drake into a living weapon of mass destruction.

Smaug snorted out burning sulfur. "Prove that you haven't gone soft. Show me that you can match the title of Igneel's son. If you don't live up to my expectations, I may just kill you."

"Not even Acnologia managed to kill me, old dragon." Natsu hissed. "And that insult about being a human pet…I'm not letting that one slide. I'll give you a new scar before this is over, I promise."

"I'd expect nothing less."

The dragons hovered silently, staring each other down to see who would make the first move.

"GROOAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

The two drakes roared at full force and lunged, ramming their skulls together head-on. After an instant, Natsu was blown away by Smaug's overpowering size advantage. The smaller drake let loose a blast of fire that smote his opponent's face in retaliation.

Smaug flew clean through and crashed his massive head right into Natsu's chest, crushing the wind out of him. Natsu choked and instinctively dove, escaping the line of attack, but put himself in the path of Smaug's massive taloned feet.

With a roar, Smaug grabbed Natsu by the shoulders with his claws like a hawk captures a smaller bird. Natsu snarled and tried to wriggle free, but Smaug sucked in a swift breath and released his opponent just in time to fire an explosive fireball at the younger dragon.

Natsu was stunned momentarily by the force of the blast, but he recovered quickly and righted himself in midair, glaring back up where Smaug hovered patiently.

The giant dragon stared down at him with a piercing look in his glowing orange eyes.

Natsu wasn't fazed. He bared his fangs and let out a ferocious hiss. I've got to conquer you before I can kill Acnologia…

He used his greater speed to his advantage and flew above Smaug in a crimson blur, then made rapid circles around the larger dragon. Smaug watched him carefully, but growled a challenge.

Natsu unleashed a full payload of dragon breath, dousing his opponent in a torrent of flames. Smaug didn't move in the slightest, but snarled mockingly. "How kind of you to warm my scales, little dragon…"

But there was meaning behind the harmless fire and that was what Natsu took advantage of next. While Smaug had lost sight of Natsu behind the flames, the smaller dragon stopped the onslaught to rise above the elder and dive down onto Smaug's back, slashing with tooth and claw.

The dragon roared and whipped his tail forward like a scorpion's, slamming the huge spikes into Natsu with enough force to make the smaller dragon yelp in pain. Natsu shook off the injury quickly though and retreated, searching for another method of attack.

Smaug had none of it. His eyes seemed to burn as he hissed. "Enough playing about."

He inhaled deeply, deeper than Natsu had ever seen a dragon breathe. The younger dragon was instantly on guard. This is going to be huge.

"Rrrraaaahhhhhhh!"

From Smaug's great maw came a river of liquid fire, dousing Natsu in intense heat and molten lava.

Natsu was startled. He had known Smaug was a Fire Dragon like him, but what he didn't realize was exactly what he was.

The lava was weighing Natsu down and actually making his body get hot. The sensation of growing heat so that it became uncomfortable was new to him- and shocking.

Is he BURNING me?

He went into free fall and spun rapidly, trying to get the lava off of his body. As he came to a stop, Natsu saw that Smaug was inhaling deeply again, but this time his jaws faced the sky. Smaug's scales at his chest began to glow red with intense heat.

Smaug spat a huge sphere of molten energy straight up, where it exploded into a storm of meteor-like chunks of liquid volcanic rock. The barrage of lava bombs forced Lisanna and Mira further away to avoid getting hit.

Natsu took the full brunt of one of the volcanic meteors in his right flank, bellowing in pain at the explosive, devastating force.

Lisanna screeched in panic. "Natsu!"

He almost spiraled out of control and just managed to avoid getting hit by more of the bombs before regaining control of his flight. Below him, the remaining chunks of lava hit the ground with such explosive force that anywhere they landed was instantly incinerated. In seconds, the giant blast zone had left scars on the earth itself.

As he recovered from the shock and stared back up at Smaug, he found the giant drake studying him again. The air of power around Smaug was getting more and more intense as Natsu got a full look at the elder dragon.

Natsu was in awe of the titan above him. It's almost as if…

Lisanna gulped beside her sister. "It's like he's a living volcano…"

"A Volcanic Dragon?" Lucy whispered.

Mira stared at Smaug with a rare, intimidated gaze. This dragon…is almost surely even more powerful than Master is…The heat emanating from his body alone is so strong it's making the cool air all the way up here burn to where my throat is feeling dry…

Natsu bared his fangs. Even so…

He roared a challenge and lunged upwards.

Smaug dove down and met Natsu's rush head-on. At first, it looked as though they were in for another head smashing, but at the last second, Natsu corkscrewed around the larger dragon so he was above and behind him. Before Smaug could react, Natsu struck with his claws and slashed through the scales on the Volcanic Drake's battle-scarred neck.

I got him!

Without even flinching, Smaug flipped onto his back in midair, a breath attack already charged up. He unleashed a geyser of molten energy at Natsu, bathing the smaller dragon in the eruption-like breath.

Instead of trying to escape immediately, Natsu went for a daredevil attack and charged straight in. He plowed through the lava so he could strike at Smaug's exposed throat and belly. Even Smaug himself seemed briefly surprised that Natsu would try such a reckless attack, but the elder dragon grinned in satisfaction.

Not bad, boy.

He ceased the breath attack just before Natsu hit him, but right when it looked like the smaller fire dragon had a shot at inflicting some serious damage, Smaug threw a wild card. His right wing folded and rushed up to Natsu's throat, where the finger-like talons at the joint of his wing got a deadlock grip.

The unexpected maneuver caught him totally by surprise. Natsu flailed desperately to get free, but by this point they were a mere hundred feet off the ground. With a mighty roar, Smaug flipped them so he was hovering over the smaller dragon. His claws gripping Natsu's throat glowed iridescent orange and exploded with infernal energy the instant they crashed into the earth.

The sheer force of the impact made a crater in the ground, but Smaug's explosive strike burned the rock and earth around them charcoal black.

Natsu was pinned under Smaug's grip, stunned and immobilized. The elder dragon bellowed in his face, pinning the rest of Natsu's body with a huge foot on his chest. There was simply no way Natsu was going to get free from the Volcanic Drake now.

Still, all he did was growl in annoyance and avert his gaze. Even in such a bad spot, Natsu downright refused to just give up.

Smaug snorted and loosened his grip, knowing that the fight was over.

Above them, the three onlookers were in awe.

"Amazing…" Lucy gasped. "That was amazing…"

"Just how powerful is that dragon?" Lisanna wondered aloud.

Mira was nearly in shock. I've never seen a dragon fight like that. He can not only channel his affinity through a breath attack, but he can use magic to harness that power in other parts of his body?How? I never knew such a fighting style existed among dragons!

"Well." Smaug grunted. "At least you haven't become completely tamed. There may still be hope for you, yet."

Natsu avoided his gaze reluctantly.

"Stop pouting, boy." Smaug rebuked him with a cuff of his tail. "You're centuries too early to win against me anyway. I was just testing you to see if you were worth bringing back to Pri-mal."

As Natsu stood, he glanced up sharply. "Go back?"

Smaug snorted. "Yes. The entire reason I came out looking for you was to bring you back to the Flame Capitol. You've got no idea what a pain the other dragons have been since Igneel fell."

"Whoa, whoa, time out!"

That was Lucy as Lisanna and Mira approached the two drakes and landed. The blonde girl stayed on Lisanna's back so she could be noticed by the Volcanic Drake. "Natsu's been staying with us at the Fairy Tail Thunder in Magnolia. We should at least talk this over with Makarov first!"

"I have no interest in speaking with humans." Smaug rumbled.

Lisanna blinked. "But we're dragons."

The Volcanic Drake seemed to consider that, then rolled his shoulders in a giant shrug. "I suppose I should meet with the other dragons on this continent and see what they're like, anyway."

Lucy's cheek puffed up in irritation. "Geez…"

"Right." Mira decided. "Let's meet with Erza and the others, then we'll head back to Magnolia."

"Where in the seven hells did you find that monster?" Gray demanded.

Along with him, every single member of the investigation team (Not including Natsu) seemed very wary of the giant dragon Natsu had brought back. After reassuring them that Smaug was no threat, the situation was explained and the decision was made to return to the Thunder immediately.

Smaug, for the most part, simply studied the other dragons and took no heed of anything else.

"Well…" Erza eyed the huge drake in return and frowned. "Makarov is definitely going to want to hear about this. I'm sure he'll want to meet Smaug, as well. But he cannot bring harm to any of Magnolia's inhabitants. I need to be certain of that before I let him near the city."

Natsu glanced at Smaug, who rolled his eyes and replied lazily. "I swear on every violent death I have ever caused that I will not kill any living thing in the city you spoke of."

Gajeel grinned. "You know what? I like this guy."

"You would." Lucy muttered.

Layla gazed up at Smaug. "So you knew Igneel?"

"I did."

"Were you his friend?" she asked.

Smaug narrowed his eyes. "No. I fought with him and against him at times. But I don't believe I'd ever call him 'Friend'. That is a title I reserve for a handful of dragons."

"I see…" Layla murmured with a frown. She eventually shook her head as if to clear something from her mind and spoke to the dragon again. "I haven't introduced myself. My name is Layla Heartfilia. You've already met my daughter, Lucy."

"I do not care." he rumbled flatly.

Lucy glared at the huge dragon. Despite how much she would've liked to tell him off, she knew that he would either ignore her or incinerate her. Since neither option satisfied her, Lucy decided to simply pretend that the giant Volcanic Drake did not exist.

Erza raised an eyebrow at the exchange. "Well, let's get home. But first of all, why did you come here, Smaug?"

Smaug glanced at the Blade Dragonelle. "I came to find Natsu and bring him home. Eventually. It would seem he has much to learn before I deem him worthy of coming to the Flame Capitol. In fact, going there as he is now would likely get him killed within a matter of days, so I really have no choice other than to remain with him and teach him how to fight like a dragon should."

"I'm not THAT bad, y'know." Natsu growled. "I can't help it if you're damn near a hundred feet long and practically spit meteors. I just got to adult size, anyway."

"Excuses won't help you survive." Smaug retorted. "That's the first lesson I've given you. Such excellent progress."

"Brutal and sarcastic." Gajeel cackled. "This guy's a riot."

Lucy wasn't such a big fan and muttered at the Iron Drake. "Gajeel, are you in love?"

"Piss off, you runt."

"Okay, that's enough." Mira sighed. "Let's just get back to Fairy Tail, ok?"

Smaug's tail twitched at that. "Fairy…Tail?"

"It's the name of Magnolia's Dragon Thunder." Lisanna explained.

The Volcanic Drake's eyes narrowed. "Odd choice for a name…"

"You can hear about it all from Makarov." Erza suggested. "It looks like you'll be staying around for a while, so I suppose I should say this in place of all the dragons in our Thunder. Welcome, Smaug."

Smaug snorted out a cloud of black sulfur. "I'm grateful. I think…"


	28. The Flames of Pri-mal

**Yay, more chapters. I've finally got a plot mostly worked out for what is about to happen, so I'm not going to rush it. There's about to be some nasty and shocking little surprises.**

 **As ever, thanks for reading and please review!**

 **P.S. I'm giving fair warning here, but once the next chapter goes up I'm gonna change the rating to M for some specific pieces in the story. It's not going to get super bad right off the bat, but there are some things in later chapters that I need to be clear are not so pleasant.  
**

Chapter 28: The Flames of Pri-mal

"Well, you brats outdid yourselves this time. When I told you to investigate Rosemary's ruins, I never expected you to actually bring back the dragon responsible."

Makarov was addressing the return group along with Smaug.

While most of the Thunder was listening intently as Erza gave the report, every one of them was silently noting that Makarov and Smaug were both of identical size, though Makarov was slightly more heavily built. At present, the two giant drakes were staring each other down at eye level, neither one showing any sign of intimidation.

It felt like lightning was crackling in the air.

Makarov kept his gaze fixed on Smaug while he spoke to his dragons. "So, Natsu, you say you know this dragon, correct?"

"Yeah." Natsu confirmed.

"Well, then…" the Leader rumbled. "He's your responsibility. If he's going to stick around, then you have to show him the way things are run here."

Smaug snorted. "The brat is actually my responsibility. For the moment, though, I suppose I'm in your care."

Makarov's eyes narrowed slightly, but he grunted. "All of you are dismissed. But I will talk with you alone, Smaug."

The other dragons quietly left, casting uncertain glances after their leader and the newcomer. Natsu seemed hesitant to leave, but Lucy and Lisanna led the young drake out of the Hall without any trouble.

Once they were all gone, Makarov faced Smaug unflinchingly. "Why did you come here?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Smaug replied. "I came to find Igneel's son."

"Well, you've found him. So now what?"

Smaug closed his eyes to think. "Natsu isn't strong enough as he is to survive in the Flame Capitol. I'll train him here for a while until I'm satisfied with his progress."

"Will he leave so easily?" Makarov asked.

"What do you mean?"

The Leader sighed. "That brat has his mind dead-set on two things; Annihilating the Dragon Slavers and slaying Acnologia. I don't know if he'll agree to go with you quite yet."

Smaug was silent for a time. Then he shook his head. "He's even more like his father than I realized…tch, perhaps I should have expected this."

Makarov raised a scaled eyebrow. "Meaning?"

"Igneel knew about the Dragon Slavers. In fact, he was looking into them thoroughly." Smaug murmured. "And the only time Igneel studied an organization like that was so he could erase it entirely in one, massive Fire Dragon assault. That situation would have summoned the whole Flame Capitol, every dragon under his command to desecrate the Dragon Slavers."

"And now his son has been passed that task."

The Volcanic Drake nodded. "It would seem that way. And I'm staking my pride on training him to be ready for such a battle."

Makarov gave him an intense stare. "Will you also participate?"

"…If he proves himself worthy by that time…then perhaps I will."

"And Acnologia?"

Smaug actually laughed, though there was no humor in it. "Acnologia is beyond Natsu's reach. It'll be centuries before he's ready to take on that black beast. There is no dragon out there that can defeat it. If there was ever one who could, it was Igneel, but he fell prey to Acnologia as well."

Makarov's eyes narrowed. "What about you?"

The laughter paused. Smaug's jaws closed quietly as he shook his head.

"Not even me."

Meanwhile, some of the dragons had settled down by the lakeshore, doing their best to let the tension in their bodies die down.

"Natsu, are you really gonna go back with Smaug?" Wendy asked nervously.

The Fire Drake shook his head. "I don't know, Wendy. I'm not sure I want to yet."

Lucy was leaning on Natsu's flank with her arms crossed. She glanced at him with a frown. "You just got used to this place. I hope you don't have to go. It would get boring without Natsu around."

"Besides, Smaug kinda seemed like he was gonna stick around for a while anyway, right?" Lisanna murmured. "He did mention something about keeping an eye on you, or something."

"Something like that." Natsu's tail twitched a few times, more and more rapidly.

"GRAAHH!" Natsu finally stood up abruptly with a roar, making Lucy squeal as she hit the ground and causing the other dragons to jump. He slammed his tail on the ground and bared his fangs. "This is so annoying! Now I just wanna fight something!"

Elfman jumped to the challenge with a bellow. "MANLY!"

He and Natsu rushed each other and collided with a massive crash. The two drakes then began a grappling match to pin the other down, snarling in determination.

Lucy sweat-dropped. "He's never gonna stop fighting, is he?"

"Not likely." Wendy sighed.

Lisanna stood up. "We better stop them before they crush somebody's house."

WHAM!

Everyone watching the brawl flinched as Smaug dropped out of nowhere and, grabbing both fighting drakes by the neck with his wing claws, slammed them into the ground. Natsu and Elfman were stunned from the force while the elder dragon snorted.

"First lesson of the day: Always be aware of your surroundings."

Natsu recovered, though he was still pinned by Smaug and growled. "The hell was that for?!"

"I'm going to start teaching you how to fight like a dragon. I will not go easy on you. None of you."

Wendy blinked. "Eh?"

"Please tell me he didn't say that like he meant all of us." Lisanna gulped.

"Gee-hee!" Gajeel cackled. "Hell yeah! Finally, some action!"

"Man!" Elfman wheezed out under Smaug's talons.

Smaug glanced at the group. "Your leader and I reached a simple agreement- I'll be pardoned for whatever damages I've done and in return I'll add in some battle practice for the other dragons alongside Natsu. However…"

He fixed his pale orange gaze on the younger Fire Drake. "While the other dragons are welcome to come and go to combat practice as they please since I don't really care whether they show up or not, you will go to each and every one. Got it, brat?"

Natsu just grinned. "I'm all fired up!"

"Good. You'll need to be." Smaug grunted. "Because we start now on the mountaintop above the Thunder Hall. That'll be the new training grounds."

Surprisingly, nearly all of the dragons met up on the mountaintop, curious about what Smaug would be teaching them. Natsu, Gajeel, Gray and Elfman showed for the actual practice, obviously because they were the most competitive bunch amongst each other. On the sidelines with Lucy and Layla were the remaining dragons who decided to watch for a time and decide what they thought of the first practice for themselves- Erza, Mirajane, Lisanna, Wendy, Levy, Juvia and Kinana. Since the Thunder God Tribe and Laxus were out roaming the territory again, they didn't show up.

Makarov was busy in the city discussing Smaug's accommodations with Jude Heartfilia, but he'd managed to convince Porlysuca to go watch the combat practice in case someone got hurt.

Needless to say, she did not look in the least bit pleased about it.

Smaug glanced around and snorted. "Hmph. Guess there'll be a crowd. Right then, let's get started."

Natsu was digging his claws into the ground in anticipation. He grinned. "So who's ass am I kicking first?"

"You couldn't kick my ass if you tried, flame brain." Gray growled.

"You wanna fight, popsicle tooth?!" Natsu hissed.

"Stop screwing around." Smaug rumbled. "You won't be fighting today. You aren't ready to fight like a real dragon."

Gray's eyes narrowed. "Ah? You think we can't take care of ourselves?"

Smaug rolled his eyes. "That's exactly what I think."

The Ice Drake crouched with a growl. "Bet I can prove you wrong."

"You're gonna get your ass kicked." Natsu pointed out.

The Volcanic Dragon sighed in irritation. "Fine, bring it on."

With a roar, Gray lunged, spitting a blast of ice-cold energy at the larger drake.

And while you're dealing with that, I'll slash your throat out!

Smaug's wing claws grabbed Gray's face, glowed iridescent orange and crushed the Ice Drake into the ground with a thermal explosion that shook the mountaintop.

The other dragons stared in shock as Gray was defeated in an instant.

"Let me make something very clear to all of you!" Smaug bellowed as he glared at the other dragons. "I've got no leniency for weakness. I don't care if you're a drake, a dragonelle, or a mere hatchling! I'll put you through a training course worse than hell itself!"

When the others didn't respond immediately, Smaug snorted out a cloud of ash. "Fighting dragons trained for combat is far more difficult than fighting with your instincts. If you don't know what you're doing, you will die. There isn't any mercy in a real fight and I will show you none here. On my pride as one of the strongest Flame Dragons, I will throttle all 300 years of my life's battle experience into every scale on your bodies."

Most of the dragons were still pretty stunned, but Erza's eyes started glinting. "I'm beginning to get very interested in this…"

"Gee-hee…I wouldn't expect anything less from a monster like this guy!" Gajeel grinned maniacally.

"Manly!" Elfman muttered.

Smaug let Gray up and stood up straight so he towered over the other dragons. "Then let's start training. I'm not letting you off the hook until you can't even fly straight!"

Natsu roared at the top of his lungs. "Alright! I'm all fired up!"

As it turned out, all the dragons decided to try out Smaug's training session. Not as many liked it quite as much as others did, however. Levy and Wendy were totally wiped out after the first hour or so due to their small size, but they struggled on when Smaug denied them the option to quit. Kinana wanted to tap out next after a hellish exercise of what could be called "Dragon Sprints", which was basically flying as fast as they could for an hour.

Smaug wanted to focus on the physique of the dragons first. He didn't like what he saw. Most of them were not in top form as far as he was concerned.

Fighting with magic is only as effective as the body that uses it. If they can't handle this much, they aren't ready to learn any magic more than their breath attack.

One by one, the Fairy Tail dragons began to slow down from exhaustion. By the time they were finished, after three hours of nonstop training, Smaug finally told them it was enough. He wasn't satisfied completely, but it would have to do. Training was useless if they hurt themselves.

When Mira and Lisanna tried to sit down, gasping for breath, Smaug growled. "Stay on your feet. Walk it off. You have to let your muscles cool off, or they won't be any sturdier the next time you train."

Levy was struggling just to stand, but she gave Smaug a surprised look. "You know..about that stuff? I-I've (gasp) read about…muscles and anatomy, but…"

She gave up talking, needing air more than words. Smaug grunted. "Of course I do. I've been alive a great deal longer than any of you here. Moreover, I was the one who trained dragons back in the Flame Capitol. This is a typical training session for combat dragons."

"Cool…I think…" Gray gasped.

Smaug smirked inwardly at the sight of the exhausted dragons. Evidently, they had never been through such rigors before. All of them had their heads drooping, wings and tails dragging while their burning legs made them sluggish. But he blinked at the sight of Erza appearing unaffected. The Volcanic Drake tilted his head at her.

Elfman tried to lean on the Blade Dragonelle to keep himself from collapsing, but Erza gave him a swift whack with her tail and barked. "Stand up! That was just training! And you call yourself a man!"

The poor drake collapsed with a groan. Erza snorted and muttered. "Pathetic."

Well, she's quite tough, isn't she?

Smaug's eyes eventually found Natsu, who had by now caught his breath and stopped his shaking legs. Gajeel also appeared to be faring pretty well.

It's a good thing they spent the last seven years surviving in the wild. It's taught them how to survive. Stubborn and strong, just as a dragon should be. I'll make dragons out of them, yet.

He cleared his throat and barked. "That's all for today. Make sure you drink water, lots of water. Then get a good night's sleep. Especially you, Natsu. You'll be back here first thing tomorrow morning."

Natsu grinned tiredly. "Sure thing, old man."

Smaug was satisfied with that and moved to leave, but Erza spoke up. "If it's alright with you, could you tell us a bit about Pri-mal? I don't know much about it and I admit I'm very curious."

He blinked. "What would you like to know?"

"What's it like?"

"How straightforward." Smaug snorted. "It's more wild than this place is. It's a continent where men are still primitive hunters that live in small tribes or villages. They fear us, as they should. There are a few towns on the coast that are more reminiscent of the towns on this continent, but they are all small. Pri-mal is a world of dragons. Dragons rule, doing what they please, when they please. It's…it's…well, it's home, I suppose."

Levy also became interested. "Do the dragons there live in Thunders, too?"

Smaug shook his head. "No. There are places where dragons converge to interact as a whole, but for the most part, we live as we choose. Some live with their mates. Others live alone."

"Mates, huh?" Kinana murmured.

"Any dragon can have a mate back in our home, unlike here." Gajeel grunted.

Smaug frowned. "What does that mean?"

"See, only the Leaders of the Thunders in Fiore are able to have a mate." Erza explained. "It's been an iron clad rule for centuries to keep dragons from killing each other's offspring."

"You jest, surely."

"I shit you not, it's completely true." snickered Gajeel.

Smaug rolled his eyes. "How stupid. Are they trying to bring our species to extinction with that ridiculous rule? What tomfoolery."

Lisanna stared at the Volcanic Drake. "So…any dragon can have a mate in Pri-mal?"

"Of course they can!" he exclaimed. "What a ridiculous question! We aren't such foolish dragons as whoever the hell it was that set up that idea."

"Do you have a mate back home, mister Smaug?" Wendy asked innocently.

Smaug stiffened. He gave Wendy a sharp look with those pale orange eyes. She cringed at the smoldering rage held within the glowing orbs.

"The training session is dismissed." Smaug spat. "Don't bother me with stupid questions for the rest of the day."

With that, he flew off, probably to spit fireballs by the anger in his eyes.

Natsu stared after him. "What the hell was that reaction?"

"S-scary…" Wendy whimpered.

"It wasn't that bad a question, was it?" Lisanna wondered, also confused by the drake's anger.

Kinana frowned. That was…

I see…

At the edge of the group of dragons, Layla closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly.

Smaug was in love once.


	29. Rising Menace

Chapter 29: Rising Menace 

In the hall of a great castle, a young woman was sitting at the end of a huge table. On the other end was her father, the King, and on either side of him the Stewart and the castle's strongest knight. Across the rest of the table were various people who currently were the castle guard's best warriors. Anyone who looked at them casually might think they were just being polite with the silence while everyone ate. However, the young woman, a princess who had known these people all her life, recognized the unspoken tension hanging over their heads precariously.

This princess eventually wiped her mouth with her handkerchief and called across the table, "Father, are you going to tell us why we were all summoned here on such short notice?"

The King looked back and considered for a moment if he was prepared, then sighed and decided it would be best to simply get it over with, "Very well. First and foremost, I apologize for calling you all here so unusually. I know many of you have personal issues with one or the other…"

At this, he glanced between his Stewart and Head Knight, both of whom were looking at each other indifferently. The King shook his head and cleared his throat, "Ahem. Despite our differences, I need something to be done about these Dragon Slavers. Our might as a country lies in the dragons we live alongside, but if there are forces killing and stealing those dragons, we must send a response team to deal with them. I understand there have been small skirmishes here and there, but this recent attack on Fairy Tail Thunder a few months back troubles me greatly."

"Should we send spies into their midst and gather information first?" the Head Knight asked, "That is standard procedure for studying an enemy we know little of who possesses a force like theirs."

"I have already attempted what you suggest," the King sighed, "but our spies were quickly discovered and killed. We have no choice. We must send in forces to intercept and stop all their attacks on our dragons."

The Stewart nodded, "An excellent suggestion, your majesty. I can arrange such a force immediately if you wish."

"Do not overstep your powers," the Head Knight glared at him, "The military force is led by me, so if his majesty requires a response team, I'll organize the members myself."

His glare was countered by the Stewart's, who appeared displeased with this knowledge, but did not respond.

The princess snapped her fingers at the two men, "Please, stop this. We have no luxury at a time like this for infighting. Father, should Arcadios organize the team, or no?"

"Yes," the King told her and the Head Knight, "I'm leaving the response team in your capable hands, my friend."

Arcadios nodded, "Consider it done, your majesty."

"With that said, that is not all I have called you here for," the King stated, "There are two other issues to deal with. The first is that of a strange group that the Dragon Slavers may be in contact with. They possess an unusual magic and I want it to come to light. The second is the recent destruction of the city on the edges of our borders, Rosemary. I trust you've all heard of that by now?"

Oh, they had heard. The whole event had revolved around two of their most prominent young warriors. Even now, they both looked angry about the attack.

The King offered them both a comforting glance, "Fear not, for the one responsible is, in fact, in Fairy Tail at this very moment, or so I've been told. A drake going by the name of Smaug recently found his way to the Thunder and has apparently been welcomed in. I want a direct interview with this dragon to determine his true purposes and why he insisted on annihilating my country's people. Hisui, I'm sending you with two soldiers of your choice, plus a dragon for good measure. I'll send a message to Jiemma after this and have him assign one of his Thunder to you. Understood?"

Hisui the princess dipped her head, "Yes, father. As for the two soldiers, it goes without saying who should escort me, right?"

She looked to the two who had been so angry earlier and smiled at them, "Come. Let's go find this dragon and make sure he answers for what he's done."

"…You're sure this list was accurate?" Natsu asked.

Erza nodded, "It is. Since Rosemary was relatively small, they kept records of who lived there and who moved. The man who gave us this said we were lucky this much of the list survived, so he checked off the names of who was alive and who died during Smaug's attack."

Lucy was scanning the parchment until she paused and told Natsu mentally. (Kagura's name is here. She and her brother moved out of Rosemary two years ago. It doesn't say where they went, but they weren't present when Smaug attacked.)

Natsu let out an inward breath of relief. Despite the fact that he hadn't seen Kagura in years, she was still special to him. Without her, he would have suffered a lot more pain, even though she had just been a child at the time.

"Well, I guess I was worried over nothing," Natsu muttered to himself.

"Hmm?" Erza glanced back at him.

"Ah-oh, forget it!" he replied quickly, "I was just thinking out loud. No big deal."

She played with the idea of being suspicious, but decided against it, "I see. You'd best hurry, Natsu. Smaug won't be happy if you show up late for training."

Natsu grinned, "Training time!"

With that, he swiftly escaped his cave and padded towards the Thunder Hall's exit. Natsu loved training with Smaug, who could push him to his absolute limit and stop just before he could hurt himself. The elder Fire Drake was adamant on making sure his charge was turned into a strong dragon and Natsu was eager to learn.

He started to run so he could jump far out of the Hall, but just moments before he could fly, another dragon landed and accidentally blocked his path.

"Whoa, look out!" Natsu shouted.

The dragonelle froze and yelped as Natsu, unable to stop, nearly barreled into her. The two dragons ended up sprawled on the floor in a heap of flailing limbs, wings, and tails.

"Oof!"

"Ouch! Natsu, that's my tail you're sitting on!"

He scrambled to his feet and spun to face the dragonelle, "Sorry! I was about to take off and couldn't stop!"

She puffed up her cheek in mock anger, "Honestly, you're so hot-headed!"

Natsu blinked, recognizing the dragonelle instantly, "Lisanna?"

"The one and only," she replied as she turned to make sure everything was in place.

Without thinking, Natsu blocked his mental link with Lucy. Not that he didn't trust her; he was still uncomfortable with the fact that someone knew he and Lisanna had known each other prior to him joining the Thunder. He felt a need for secrecy he wasn't sure he actually needed, but better safe than sorry.

He glanced at the ground awkwardly, "Uh, sorry again. I need to go train with Smaug. If I'm late, that old dragon'll throttle me."

Lisanna looked to him in surprise, "You're going already?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, I know we literally just ran into each other, but…just 'hi, sorry I ran into you?'"

"I'm just in a rush. I'd talk longer if I could."

She frowned, "Well…okay, I guess."

Why do I feel like I should talk to him more?

Lisanna found herself staring awkwardly at the now nearly-glowing scales lining Natsu's jaw and neck. For some reason, she couldn't help but wonder if they were as warm as they looked…

She froze and shook her head. Stop it! Get out of my head!

Natsu tilted his head at her, "Are you okay? You look like there's a bug flying around your face or something."

"No- I was just thinking something stupid," she stammered. Lisanna offered a smile and a brief pang went through her. She was starting to realize how little time she and Natsu had gotten to spend together. Mind you, it wasn't as though she expected anything out of being with him, but Lisanna did miss the months they had spent in the wilderness, just the two of them.

No, she thought, that can't happen again. He's a part of the Thunder now…and it would be suspicious if we flew back out to the waterfall, just the two of us. Besides, nothing could come out of that…

"Well, I'd better go see Smaug," Natsu interrupted her thoughts.

"Yeah. See you…" Lisanna quickly walked away, deciding she wanted to lie in her cave for a bit. As Natsu passed by her, she decided to take a risk, "Natsu?"

"Hm?" he paused and turned to look at her.

"How about we go hunting later?" she suggested, "Not too far, just in the forest a few leagues off."

Natsu didn't think too long before deciding, "Sure! I'd love to!"

Her expression brightened immediately, "Great!"

He flashed her a fanged grin and took off to meet Smaug. Lisanna then padded to her cave, now in a much better mood.

"Move faster!" Smaug bellowed, whipping Natsu's flank with his powerful tail.

The smaller dragon was knocked off balanced and crashed to the ground, but he scrambled up just as quickly, only to be gripped around the throat by Smaug's talons and pinned down. His mentor squeezed a moment and growled.

"Dead."

Smaug let Natsu up, who got back on his feet and begged, "Let me try it again!"

"No," the elder declined, "We've been at this for hours. Your movements are becoming sloppy. Any further practice will hurt more than help. I'll let you rest for a bit. Sit, young one."

Natsu didn't argue and sat down heavily, breathing out a quiet sigh of relief. He loved the training, but Smaug had ways of exhausting every muscle in his body. Just sitting up the way he was caused his legs to throb with soreness.

Smaug also sat down and rumbled, "You're getting better. You have natural instinct for fighting that's been honed for the past seven years in the wilderness. An untrained enemy would have a rough time against you."

He stared at his teacher with surprise. He hadn't expected praise like that to come from Smaug.

"But," continued the elder, "You rely too much on raw power and scrappiness. Without technique, those can only get you so far. You'll never stand a chance against a trained dragon."

Natsu's surprise at the compliments immediately died down. He should've expected Smaug to finish with something like that. As happy as it made him to hear that the older dragon saw potential, one could always rely on Smaug to be unrelenting. The old drake knew there was always room for improvement.

"I'll get stronger," Natsu muttered, "Strong enough to beat anyone. Especially Acnologia."

The Volcanic Drake eyed his charge, "And do tell me how you plan on achieving this great feat?"

"I just will."

"That's a child's answer!" Smaug scolded, "That beast will kill you like an eagle kills mice. How do you expect to protect what's most precious to you if you can't even protect yourself?"

Natsu stiffened. The fire in his belly boiled. He knew Smaug was intentionally goading him on to motivate him, but the elder's sharp tongue was pushing it.

"What will happen when Acnologia gets his claws on someone dear to you?"

"I already know what happens," growled the younger dragon, "Remember?"

"You weren't strong enough then," Smaug told him, "And you aren't strong enough now."

"I don't need you to tell me that," Natsu retorted.

"You're going to hear it whether you like it or not. Because if you try and confront him, he will kill you just as surely as he killed Igneel."

"Shut up. I'm going to kill that monster if it's the last thing I do. No one is going to stop me."

"It will surely be the last thing you do, Natsu, if you so much as try to hunt him. Wait a century or two to grow to Igneel's size, then you can think about fighting him."

"What's stopping you, then? You're even bigger than Igneel was!"

"My reasons are none of your concern."

"Coward."

Smaug's orange eyes flickered with dangerous fire, "What did you just call me?"

"You and all the other dragons," Natsu snarled, "If size and firepower is all that it takes, then why haven't you lot done something about Acnologia yet? Because you're afraid?! And you called me a child!"

Smaug growled, his patience snapping, "Do not dare presume to accuse me of cowardice! What do you think I've been doing since Igneel's demise?! Spitting embers in boredom?! I've been picking up the pieces left by his death, trying to bring order to a whole kingdom of fire dragons while trying to find you at the same time!"

Both drakes were snarling in each other's faces, breathing out plumes of smoke from their jaws and nostrils in rage. The air around them started to heat up considerably.

"If all those dragons can't even take care of themselves, why are you trying to convince me to go back and lead them? You make them sound useless!"

"NATSU!" Smaug roared in fury, rising to his full height and looming over the younger dragon, "With all your brashness, you forget your place! You think and act like a child and because of that you have no right to lead anyone! I do not teach you because I must, I teach you because I know what that brashness leads to and do not wish for you to experience what I have!"

"Oh yeah? What could possibly be worse than what I've experienced? You're always on your own! You don't know what it's like to lose someone important to you!" retorted Natsu in his anger.

Smaug's throat and chest swelled, as though he were about to unleash a roar that would topple the mountain. The rage in his eyes was frightening. The ground around him began to sizzle and melt.

"Leave."

Natsu stared at him, "What-"

"Leave," Smaug breathed out furiously, "Your training is over for the time being. Do not approach me again until you have found enough actual decency within yourself to apologize for that insult. You have no idea what I have lost, boy. You have no inkling of all that I have…"

He trailed off and did not complete his statement, seemingly too angry for words. Natsu held his elder's glare for a moment before flying off, doing his best to ignore the burning pit in his stomach.

Smaug waited for Natsu to go before settling down, albeit with extreme effort. He shook his head, banishing the majority of his rage, but he did not forget.

Lisanna had woken up from a nap after Smaug's enraged bellow. Shortly after, she heard the stomping of clawed feet and lifted her head as Natsu poked his head inside her cave. She blinked as she took in the smoke roiling from his nose and the intense expression on his face.

"Natsu? Are you ok?"

"Can we go hunting right now?" he muttered, "I need to let off steam."

Lisanna frowned at his tone, sensing the anger dripping from every word, but nodded.

"Lucy!"

Lucy paused before she could leave the mansion. She turned around to see her mother approaching at a rather busy pace.

"Where are you going?" asked Layla.

"To the Thunder Hall," Lucy replied, "I want to check on Natsu. I think something might be wrong."

She was more concerned than she let on. Earlier, Natsu had randomly shut down their mental link. Not long after, she had felt unbridled fury seeping from his end, then more silence. Whatever had gone down was significant enough for her to feel rushed about finding him.

Layla shook her head, "It'll have to wait, unfortunately. Your father just got word that we have some very important guests coming to Magnolia. They'll be here very soon.

"Who's coming?"

"Princess Hisui. She's coming to meet Smaug and question him, I assume."

Lucy was shocked, "The Princess is coming here?!"

"It shouldn't be that big a surprise," Layla murmured, "Smaug did destroy Rosemary, after all. I suspected someone would catch wind of him living here at some point, but I didn't anticipate it being so quick. We'll have to prepare, because she'll be arriving by tomorrow."

"But Natsu…" protested Lucy.

"Whatever is going on with Natsu, he'll just have to handle it on his own for a bit," Layla told her, "Come on, we need to meet with Makarov about this. If Natsu is there, you can ask him what's wrong then."

Unfortunately, Lucy's hopes of meeting Natsu were going to be dashed, because he was currently flying over the wilderness.

Lisanna hadn't gotten much out of him besides the fact that he'd had a heated argument with Smaug- no pun intended. She expected his tongue would loosen after eating a bit, so they focused on reaching the hunting grounds she had chosen.

"Down there!" she called after flying for a few hours. They had reached the border between the forest and the plains, sighting a herd of buffalo grazing by a river. The large beasts would definitely give them enough of a meal to talk over.

Natsu dove down without a word, bellowing at the herd. The buffalo took one look at him and ran, scattering in an effort to escape. Normally, this would expose the weakest links in the herd to the predator, but the young Fire Drake was in no mood to be choosy.

He lunged for the first bull he saw and crashed onto it, pinning the beast down with his huge claws. The animal struggled, moaning in fear, but the grip Natsu had prevented it from escaping. A moment later, his jaws clamped onto the buffalo's neck and crunched hard, killing it instantly.

Natsu felt something ram into his leg enough to make him stagger and whipped his head around to see that another buffalo had crashed into him. The animal looked disoriented and had probably just been confused, but it had annoyed the already angry dragon and was slashed open as a result.

The panicked braying of the buffalo herd was suddenly too much for Natsu's frayed patience to take. He snarled and started slashing and biting at anything that moved, seeking nothing but the urge to sink his talons and fangs into flesh and bone.

"Natsu, enough!"

Lisanna landed between him and a buffalo calf, the would-be next target of his anger. She glared at the young Fire Drake fiercely, "Stop this! You're just needlessly killing them now!"

Natsu glared back, but he took a few deep breaths and growled the rest of his rage out. The last of the buffalo herd took the chance and fled, escaping into the woods.

Eyeing the near-dozen dead animals, Lisanna shook her head and stalked up to Natsu. She thrust her face right in front of his and snapped, "I don't care how angry you are, there was no need for that! Look at what you've done!"

The Fire Drake glanced around and realized that some of the dead animals had been rent so violently that there wasn't much left to eat anyway. Having calmed down slightly, Natsu felt a pang of guilt.

He avoided her gaze and muttered, "I'm sorry."

"You should be," Lisanna rebuked, "You're better than this. Now tell me what's gotten you so worked up."

"Can I-"

"-and no, you can't eat until you give me an answer," she interrupted, "Start talking."

Natsu sat down and reluctantly began recounting his argument with Smaug, how their training had taken a turn for the worse and become something very personal and insulting. He flexed his claws at that point, digging them into the ground. Lisanna was silent throughout it all, listening to every word he said.

When all was said and done, she shook his head, "You shouldn't have called him a coward. He shouldn't have been so condescending either, but it sounds like you started the argument."

"You're siding with him?" Natsu growled.

"I'm siding with no one," she reasoned, "I'm just telling you what I think. Natsu, he wasn't trying to belittle you at first. Smaug wants you to understand how dangerous Acnologia is."

The Fire Drake snorted, "I know how dangerous he is! He killed my father, don't you remember?"

"I remember," Lisanna replied patiently, "But think about how you've been acting when it comes to Acnologia. All you talk about is how you're going to get stronger and kill him."

"That is what I'm going to do!" he insisted.

"At what price?" she asked softly, "Your life? The lives of those important to you? Even if you kill Acnologia, what will it accomplish?"

Natsu hesitated. He hadn't really thought of that before.

"I have no doubt that Acnologia is extremely dangerous, so what'll happen if you underestimate him and get yourself killed?" Lisanna murmured, "Lucy would be devastated. So would Wendy. I can't imagine Gajeel would take it well, either. Smaug would probably feel like he failed you. Everyone in Fairy Tail would miss you. Did you ever think about that?"

He ruffled his wings, slightly embarrassed, "I guess not."

Lisanna smiled, "Talk to Smaug tomorrow and apologize. I know it might be hard for you, but you can do it. Just make sure you mean every word."

Natsu sighed, "Alright, I'll say I'm sorry."

"Good. Now, let's eat."

They found the first buffalo Natsu had killed (The only one not in multiple pieces after his brief rampage) and took turns biting into it. It was reminiscent of the meals they used to have at the waterfall cave, up until Natsu started choking on a rib lodged in his throat.

He managed to gulp it down and gasped in relief, but Lisanna started laughing. Natsu gave her a pointed look, "Why're you laughing? I almost died there!"

"Because you didn't even bother chewing!" she exclaimed in amusement, "Honestly, you're such a hot head!"

Natsu's tail twitched and he fell into a crouch, "Oh yeah?"

Lisanna knew that look he had and quickly jumped back when he rushed her with a playful swipe. She waited for him to have another go before leaping forward and bowling into his larger body. The pair of dragons became a wrestling mass of flailing limbs, tails, and wings.

Eventually, Lisanna got in a lucky hit and made him trip. A moment later, she pounced and pinned him down, grinning into his face, "Got you!"

Natsu rolled his eyes, "Only because I'm sore from training with Smaug."

"Excuses?" she smirked, "That's not like you, Natsu. Or can you just not admit I beat you this time?"

"If I'll admit anything, it's that I feel way better after talking with you," he murmured, looking straight at her, "Thanks, Lisanna."

She was caught off-guard by his gratefulness and quickly retreated, letting him get back up. The young dragonelle avoided his gaze and tried to keep her embarrassment to herself. Her heart was speeding up against her will again, much to her dismay.

"Something wrong?" Natsu asked.

"N-nothing," Lisanna mumbled, "That was fun, wasn't it?"

He grinned, "It was a blast. We ought to go hunting together more often."

She looked at him, her tail twitching anxiously, "You mean that?"

"Yeah," Natsu nodded, "Out of everyone in Fairy Tail, I get along with you the best. It's just easy to be around you."

"Oh," Lisanna smiled a little, "Thank you."

The Fire Drake grinned at her again before looking skyward to the sun, which was sinking quickly. He hummed thoughtfully, "We probably won't make it back before dark…why don't we crash out here?"

"Sure," she replied, "There's a little clearing not far into the forest. I've slept there before. We'll try that."

The flight only took a few minutes before Lisanna spotted the clearing she'd talked about. She landed and then Natsu, who glanced around the small area.

Lined by the river on one side and the woods on the other, this clearing was a little cramped for two dragons their size, but they'd fit. Around them were willow trees, their tendrils swaying peacefully in the breeze. A few moments after they landed, Natsu saw small, glowing flickers in the air.

He tilted his head, "What are those?"

"Hmm?" Lisanna glanced at him.

"Those glowing things," Natsu persisted out of curiosity, "What are they?"

She observed the glowing flickers for a second before humming in amusement, "They're fireflies. I don't know why they glow like that, but it's really pretty, isn't it?"

He saw one land on her nose and glow for a few seconds, prompting the Fire Drake to smirk a bit, "It's kind of funny. I never knew your nose could glow, Lisanna."

Lisanna blinked and stared at the tip of her nose. Embarrassed, she quickly shook it off and laid down with a mutter, "A-anyway, we should probably get to sleep."

"Sure. Just like those times at the waterfall cave, right?" he settled down beside her and extended his wing to cover the dragonelle's back like a blanket. Lisanna thought about shaking his wing off as well, but after feeling the warmth emanating from him, she decided it was alright.

"Goodnight," Natsu yawned out, setting his head down and closing his eyes.

Lisanna watched him quickly fall asleep and sighed. This was just like the times at the waterfall cave- the times she had promised herself wouldn't happen again.

This isn't the same. He needed someone to talk to. I'm just looking after my friend…that's all. There's nothing more to this than that…there can't be…

But somehow, she wasn't having much luck trying to convince herself.

"Are you really sure about this, Laxus?"

Freed was facing his leader, the massive Lightning Drake with a cautious look. His two companions also looked a bit uneasy.

"It's true that your grandfather is old, but he's still a beast," Evergreen murmured, "Even if you challenge him, can we win? The rest of the Thunder might not take well to a forceful take over."

"They'll have to buck up and deal with it," Laxus grinned, "I'm going to be the one who leads Fairy Tail from here on out. Also, I'm abolishing that bullshit rule about the leader being the only one who can take a mate."

Bixlow was surprised, "That's pretty risky, Laxus! The Council won't take kindly to it, y'know."

"Oh, I think they'll see things my way," sneered the Lightning Drake, "I've found a loophole of sorts. Those old farts won't mind it too much."

Freed glanced at Evergreen and Bixlow, silently asking a question. Whatever Laxus had in mind, he had a plan for it. At the nods of his two comrades, Freed looked back to his leader, "We'll fight with you, no matter what. That's the job the Thunder God Tribe is tasked with."

Laxus nodded, "Good. Then we'll prepare for the upcoming Dragon Festival. By next week, there will be a new leader in Fairy Tail- and from then on, I'm taking control of Fiore entirely. This whole country will be my territory."


	30. What Has Been and What Will Be

**Alright, this marks the end of Darkfire1220's work and the beginning of mine. The next chapter is going to be my adaptation of what I believe the story will go like.**

 **As always, please review and thanks for reading**

Chapter 30: What Has Been and What Will Be

Natsu and Lisanna got a big surprise when they flew back to Magnolia.

All the dragons were assembled in the Thunder Hall, the entrance of which was guarded by a young drake with red scales and a white underbelly. The dragon had gold colored horns, giving him a somewhat regal look, and his dark eyes only heightened that perception.

"What do we have here?" The drake prompted as Natsu and Lisanna landed at the entrance. "Are you two here for the meeting? You're rather late."

Natsu cocked his head. "What meeting?"

"Oh? Your memory does not serve you well, I see." Smirked the drake. "The meeting with the princess of Fiore and Makarov over that dragon who destroyed Rosemary."

Lisanna's eyes widened. "Princess Hisui is here?!"

"In the flesh." Confirmed the drake. "I'm here as her bodyguard. You may call me Rufus."

Natsu stepped forward. "Let us in. I gotta talk to Smaug."

"I cannot." Rufus blocked his way. "You're late, for one. Also, no one but the princess and Makarov get to talk with that dragon. The likelihood of him being executed is high anyways."

Fangs began to bare as the Fire Drake's lip curled. "I'm not letting anyone kill Smaug."

Rufus saw the threat and grinned cockily back, showing off his own sharp teeth. "Oh? Looking for a fight? I'll be more than willing to oblige."

"Natsu! Lisanna!"

Lucy came running up with a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness you two finally showed up! You can let them pass, Rufus. They're members of the Thunder."

Rufus shrugged, "Alright."

So the drake let them pass without another word, allowing them to sprint into the hall.

"I'm afraid the situation isn't quite as simple as it appears, Makarov."

That first string of words that Natsu heard wasn't exactly a comfort. He and Lisanna quietly padded to the back of the Thunder Hall where the meeting was being held. The woman speaking to Makarov and Layla was a young, emerald-haired woman dressed appropriately as a princess. Beside her were two armored knights, who remained at attention and said not a word.

The princess (Hisui, Natsu remembered) continued on from where she left off. "As inclined as I am to believe that Smaug was searching for the son of his deceased friend, it doesn't excuse the methods he used to find him. Destroying Rosemary was a step too far. Rather, regardless of what I decide, this matter is already being addressed by the Council."

Makarov seemed to age then and sighed. "And what, exactly, have they decided?"

"That I don't know." Hisui replied. "But I'm entirely certain that Gran Doma is not going to be light on you. That you've taken to harboring Smaug here was not wise. You know how much the council dislikes you."

Layla frowned. "I think their disapproval is more directed at me than the Thunder, but…"

"It's not a matter of whether or not the priestess believes that the Thunder Laws should be altered." Hisui stopped her. "It's that Makarov and the rest of Fairy Tail have not in any way agreed or disagreed with you. The Council does not like your indecisiveness and so Gran Doma will always assume the worst of you. That's tantamount to you supporting that the law regarding dragon mates is flawed."

"This is why that old beast and I never saw eye to eye." Makarov grunted. "It always had to be his way. There was never any room for negotiations."

Hisui sighed. "No human can change his mind. Despite us Royals working alongside the Dragon Council for mutual peace between our species, the dragons don't actually need to listen to a thing we say. Often times, the Council listens more out of politeness than actual interest. Neither the Royal Family or the Spirit Priestesses hold any real authority with them."

"Why even bother then?" Smaug regarded the princess from beside Makarov. "I'm not even of this country, so why should I listen to old dragons who can't even listen to others?"

"Because right now, you're in their territory." Layla said sternly. "And you've violated that territory by attacking it. You could be charged for war crimes."

"War?" the Volcanic Drake snorted. "How naive. As though Fiore could declare war on a search and rescue party from Ishgar."

"Ishgar?" Lucy whispered to Natsu. "What's that?"

He muttered a response. "It's another name for our continent, Pri-mal. It's referred to by humans as Ishgar. Either one works."

Hisui watched him cautiously. "As much as I hate to admit it, you make a valid point. Ishgar, ruled entirely by dragons, is one of this world's most ferocious powers. Even with the respective Dragon Clans separated, each and every one is led by a ruler who could probably put our most effective fighting forces to shame. Threatening you with death isn't realistic."

Natsu interjected at this point with a fanged grin. "Well of course not. There's not much that can kill this old drake."

Smaug lifted a scaled brow at him and took in his charge's sincere expression. If he recognized remorse for their earlier argument in Natsu's eyes, he didn't say anything about it.

Hisui looked over her shoulder at the young drake and seemed to gauge him. "You're Smaug's quarry, then. As happy as I am that you've reunited with your father's friend, it's not up to me what happens to him. I've been told that they'll be sending a messenger soon to give Smaug's sentence. If Gran Doma so decides, he may kill you anyway. He's very strict in regards to the law."

"Rules are made to be broken." Natsu replied.

Hisui's eyes flashed as she regarded him again. "Indeed…your father…was Igneel, correct?"

"You knew him?"

"Not personally." Answered the princess. "But I've heard rumors…especially regarding Igneel's mate."

Smaug suddenly stiffened. Layla as well shifted uncomfortably.

Hisui's eyes were narrowed. "Who was your mother?"

"What has that got to do with any of this?" Natsu asked.

"What was her name?" Hisui shot back.

The Fire Drake's lip curled. "Why should I tell you?"

"You live in the lands of my father and my people." Explained the princess. "There safety is my first concern. If you bring danger with you, then I will know about it one way or another. What was your mother's name?"

Natsu growled. "Sunrose."

Hisui's eyes briefly flickered with something akin to alarm, but it vanished quickly. "I see. Very well, this is all I have to discuss as of now. I'll take my leave."

She walked out with the knights right behind her. One of them (a young woman) paused to give Natsu a curious glance, and he caught sight of something gleaming around her neck. It was a red dragon scale. One of his.

Natsu's eyes widened in realization. Kagura!

The female knight looked at him and smiled when he nodded at her. She glanced back to the princess and called out. "Your majesty, would it be acceptable if I remained here for a short time?"

Hisui looked a little surprised, but she nodded. "Yes. We'll be staying the night in Magnolia. Spend your time as you wish."

Kagura bowed her head gratefully and walked over to Natsu. She smiled up at him and held his scale in her hand.

Natsu grinned toothily. "You've gotten bigger, little one."

"But not as big as you." She replied happily.

The young woman managed to keep herself from running forward, but had a definite rush to her step as she moved to hug his snout. Natsu lowered his head for her and made a slight purr. Truth be told, he was happy to see her again.

Most of the other dragons looked completely bewildered by Natsu's behavior. No one had expected him to actually look happy to meet a knight, much less one who recognized him.

Lucy blinked in utter confusion. "Um…Natsu, who is this?"

"Oh, where are my manners?" Kagura detached herself from the Fire Drake and bowed to Lucy. "I'm Kagura Mikazuchi, a knight of the kingdom. Natsu saved me when I was very small."

"You're Kagura?" Surprise blossomed over Lucy's face. "What a coincidence!"

"Maybe." Kagura giggled a bit. "Once I heard there was a Fire Dragon who seemed to be a lot like Natsu, I had to come see if it was really him."

"And what was it that you heard about him?" Erza asked.

Kagura gave Natsu a mischievous look. "Destructive, insane, pyromaniac."

"Hey!" Natsu growled indignantly.

The others laughed to Natsu's chagrin. Kagura eventually got a hold of herself and lay her hand on his snout again. Her eyes softened. "You've really grown up…Do you think I could ride you again?"

To answer her question, Natsu used his tail to lift the female knight up onto his back and set her securely between his large dorsal spines. The next second, he was running out of the hall and leaping into open air, ignoring the shouts behind him.

Kagura laughed. Natsu spiraled upwards and let out a jubilant roar. He reached a peak and then dropped out of the sky, listening to his friend's joyous laughing. Once they were out of the clouds, Natsu made a sharp turn and made for the wilderness, determined to catch up with his first human friend.

"I see…so that's what happened, huh…"

Kagura was nodding to herself as she heard Natsu's tale end. It was a long story, but the sun was still overhead. Natsu merely sat before her and waited while she processed everything he had said.

He had even told her of how he secretly met with Lisanna before joining Fairy Tail. Kagura had been rather shocked.

She had told her own story to him first. After they had separated at Rosemary, she and Simon had spent a few years together in the city before moving to the Capital, Crocas, after Simon received a promotion in the military. Kagura decided she wanted to follow her brother's footsteps because she wished to protect people. She was a wonderful young woman, and Natsu respected the person his friend had grown up to be.

Kagura eventually smiled. "It sounds like you've had quite a few adventures, Natsu. Honestly, seven years of raiding towns and villages? And then secretly rendezvousing with a dragonelle who already belonged to a Thunder…my, my, you really can't stay out of trouble, can you?"

"Don't say that like we were doing bad things." Natsu snorted. "I wanted to meet her. I'd never met a dragonelle my own age before. She's a very good person. And really strong, too."

"Oh, my." Giggled the female knight. "Could it be you like her?"

"Why wouldn't I like her?"

"Don't play coy with me, Natsu." Kagura smirked. "I know you. I know you aren't as foolish as others initially assume. When I ask if you like her…you know what I mean. So do you?"

Natsu hesitated and he growled uneasily. "You're so troublesome…"

Her eyes softened somewhat. "Am I prying too much?"

"Yes…no…I'm not sure…" Natsu sighed. He shook his head a few times and murmured. "If I'm honest…I admire her. She's strong and kind and gentle…She's given me really good advice whenever I have a problem. And whenever we talk lately, well…things just seem different. Not bad or good, just…different. I feel like there's something that needs to be said, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea to say anything at all, if that makes sense."

"There's also that stupid law about taking a mate in the way." He growled and lashed his tail in irritation. "Only the leaders can take a mate. Whenever I think about that and imagine a drake like Laxus taking her as a mate…it makes my blood boil. That's part of the reason why I don't like him at all. Just the concept disgusts me, so I don't like him. It's easier that way."

Kagura brought her hands to his snout and rubbed the scales there softly. "Laws and rules don't restrain love, Natsu. It's a force of nature, like the wind, the sea, and fire. Especially like fire. Like you. There's no chaining it up. There's no taming it. Even if someone tries to contain a flame, it always breaks free."

Natsu snorted. "Since when did you become so wise, little one?"

"Who knows?" She replied, then patted his scaly cheek. "And? Are you going to do anything about your attraction?"

"If I do, I'll be banished and she might get into trouble." He answered. "I can't do that to her."

"Hmm." Kagura said thoughtfully.

Natsu gave her a wary glance. "What are you plotting?"

"Nothing, nothing at all."

There was something suspicious about the way her eyes flitted with mischievous light.

"I wonder what Hisui was so alarmed about earlier today." Wendy wondered.

The dragonelles were all in their human forms with Lucy and Kagura. All had ended up in Lucy's room for the night, just to do usual girl things; gossip, chat, and have fun.

Lucy nodded. "Smaug seemed a bit uneasy too whenever Hisui asked Natsu about his mother. I wonder why?"

"Do you know anything about it, Kagura?" Erza asked.

The young knight shrugged. "I don't. I'm just an escort, but I can't imagine why they'd be so interested in who Natsu's mother was. She died seven years ago…I still remember that."

"I saw what happened when I first bonded with Natsu." Lucy murmured, her brown eyes closing slightly. "He was devastated. Even today when Hisui asked, he-"

She paused and winced slightly. Lisanna blinked at her in concern. "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah. Natsu's pissed that we're talking about his feelings." Lucy rubbed her forehead after being subject to the obvious mental roar from her fiery partner. "I forgot to shut the link down for that."

Mira giggled. "He really doesn't like to show his emotions to anyone, does he?"

"Not at all." Kagura agreed. "He's been like that even when he was young. Stubborn dragon."

Juvia glanced at Levy, who had kept her nose stuck in an old book since they'd gotten to Lucy's room hours ago. "Levy, what are you reading?"

"She's been engrossed in that book for a long time." Erza admitted. "But Levy does like to read."

"I'm trying to find something." Levy told them without looking up. "I feel like I've heard that name before."

Lisanna tilted her head. "Who?"

"Sunrose. Natsu's mother. I swear I've read about that name before…! Here!"

Kagura was surprised. "Why would her name be mentioned in a book?"

"It's a book about dragon history." Lucy explained. "I got it from my mom. It goes all the way back to when humans had no civilization and dragons ruled the world indefinitely."

"And I told you to keep it to yourself."

Layla was at the door with a frown on her face.

"I don't just show it to anyone." Lucy frowned back. "They're dragons. Well, except for Kagura, but still. They can read about their own history."

"Lucy, this is a bloodline." Levy muttered, still scanning the book. "Sunrose was part of something really important-"

"Levy, stop reading."

The room got very quiet. Layla's face was stern, but she was getting pale. She held her hand out. "Give me the book."

Levy had no idea how to respond. She had not expected Lucy's mother to get so visibly upset and handed over the book without another word. Layla took it and tucked it safely under her arm before glancing at Lucy. "Come with me."

Lucy almost groaned because she could sense a lecture coming, but there was something off about the way her mother looked. She was curious too.

She looked back at her friends and murmured. "I'll be back in a moment."

The two blondes left the room, leaving the rest of the girls bewildered.

Layla brought Lucy to her room without another word and locked the door, then faced her daughter. "Is your link with Natsu turned off?"

At her nod, Layla continued. "You cannot let the others investigate Natsu's lineage."

"Why?" Lucy frowned in confusion. "What harm does it do?"

"To them? Nothing. To Natsu? It could cost his life." Layla told her seriously. "I am going to tell you, but under no circumstances are you to speak of this to anyone. Not until Natsu's fully grown."

"Mom, he's like sixty feet long. He's definitely fully grown, or at least considered an adult, isn't he?"

"Natsu is like no other dragon you will ever meet, Lucy." Layla warned. "He is unique, a dragon the likes of which the world has not seen in a very long time."

"When dragons first ruled the world hundreds of thousands of years ago, there were among them some with powers beyond any imagination of ours. Dragons that could raise forests and erase entire deserts, dragons that could raise oceans and flood countries, dragons that could summon volcanos and devastate the landscape. They weren't so much dragons as forces of nature incarnate. For all intents and purposes, they were the dragons equivalent of gods."

"Those dragons were called Omegas, because they could end absolutely everything. In one terrible war between an Omega of the land and an Omega of the sea, just those two dragons obliterated an entire continent. The loss of life in just that one event was unspeakable. And these battles between Omegas were not rare. They were not intelligent like dragons, and lived simply. No one knows how the Omegas truly came to be, but they eventually fought themselves to extinction."

"Their offspring were more like the dragons we know now, but they possessed a good deal of the Omega's power. Those dragons we refer to as Alphas. They held the intelligence dragons today have, and brought together the very first Thunders. The first dragon societies. And the children of these Alphas were dragons such as the ones we know. However, the Alphas were feared because of their terrible power. Many of the ones who did not kill each other were assassinated."

"Even those belonging to their closest bloodlines were initially hunted down, until the dragons decided it would prevent more bloodshed by simply keeping viable dragons apart from each other. That way, no more Alphas could be born. Thousands of years passed, and many of the bloodlines simply vanished from existence. Only a few remain."

"What does this have to do with Natsu?" Lucy asked.

"It has everything to do with Natsu." Layla told her daughter. "His father, Igneel, the Flame Dragon King, was the descendent of a Fire Alpha. His mother, Sunrose, was the descendent of an Alpha as well. The last two of the Flame Alpha's direct bloodlines."

Lucy froze.

"He could be an Alpha, Lucy." Layla's voice became very hushed. "It was said that a dragon's Alpha abilities would show up when they reached roughly thirty years of age. If the bloodlines are accurate, Natsu could very well be the first real Alpha in several millennia."

"If he is, then what?" Lucy whispered.

"Then the amount of men and dragons who will try to slay or capture him for their own benefits will be absolutely limitless. Alphas were said to be capable of controlling other dragons of their own element. Can you imagine the devastation Natsu could cause if he were captured and used to control the entire Flame Dragon Kingdom?"

"So what do we do? Can we hide him?"

"Keeping Natsu here right now is the best thing we can do." Layla murmured. "I think Smaug believes the same thing. He's not strong enough yet to return to the Flame Dragon Kingdom. Any of Igneel's rivals would rip him apart if they found out he is an Alpha. Igneel and Sunrose's love was kept almost entirely secret but to a select few. It was entirely forbidden to them."

"Most importantly, it's vital that his location be kept a secret from the black dragon."

Lucy's eyes widened in alarm. "You mean Acnologia? I mean, I agree, but why?"

"Acnologia is a special dragon, too." Layla said quietly. "He was originally a dragon just like any other. One half of him was Alpha, the other was not. When a dragon like that is born, there's often no difference other than a slight increase in their magical powers. But Acnologia was changed by a dark wizard in an effort to create an artificial Alpha. Now he's little more than a mindless beast, but with an Alpha's true strength. I believe the reason he attacked Natsu's family is because he sensed the blood of a rival Alpha and tried to kill a competitor."

Layla grabbed her daughter's hands and looked her straight in the eyes. "You mustn't let the others find out. Not until Natsu has grown into his true strengths. If Acnologia finds him again, he will kill Natsu without hesitation. Do you understand me, Lucy?"

Lucy nodded quickly. "I understand. Mom…will Natsu be okay? I mean, this is…"

"He was always bound to have a difficult life." Layla sighed. "This will no doubt make it more difficult, but he has you and the others to keep his heart strong. I think he'll live through this. It'll be a few years yet until we know whether he's truly an Alpha or not. Until then…I ask that you keep this to yourself…and keep Natsu strong."

Natsu found Smaug sitting atop the crest of the mountain as usual, overlooking the city. The massive drake obviously sensed him by the way his nostrils flared, but he didn't react immediately. Natsu sat down beside him and shuffled his wings awkwardly.

"I'm sorry for what I said the other day." Natsu muttered quietly.

"As am I." Smaug sighed, surprising his young charge. "I pushed you rather farther than I should have."

"We were both at fault. That's what Lisanna told me."

Smaug snorted in amusement. "Then she's more sensible than either of us."

Natsu grinned a little. "Yeah, she is."

The two drakes remained side by side in silence for a long while until Smaug quietly uttered. "It's come to my attention that I haven't told you about my mate before."

"You have a mate?" Natsu was surprised.

"Had." Smaug breathed out lowly. "No longer."

"What happened to her?"

"She is dead."

Natsu's eyes widened. Smaug stared over the city, which was bathed in the soft light of dusk.

"I was your age. So young and brash and reckless. Perhaps more good-looking." He chuckled and smirked at the younger drake, who rolled his eyes. "We met when I was traveling around Ishgar, looking for a territory to claim as my own. I never sought more than power until then. But I had eyes only for her after that."

"So what, you two became mates?"

"Oh, no. Not that quickly. On the contrary, she gave me a good scar during our first meeting." Smaug chuckled at the memory and went on. "No, we didn't become mates then. Rather, we went our separate ways. I didn't see her again for another decade."

"The next time I met her was also the first time I met Igneel. I was fighting against a faction of the dragons ruled by him and his father, Dragnoir. She had spotted me intruding and attacked without hesitation. Dragnoir managed to stop the fight and invited me to join the Flame Dragon Kingdom. I went along with it, mostly just because I wanted to spend more time with her. She, on the other hand, gave me yet another scar in that encounter."

Natsu was beginning to wonder if this dragonelle Smaug spoke of was actually his mate. "Third time's the charm?"

"Bahahaha!" Smaug roared with laughter. "Not even close. I admired her for her strength, ferocity, and beauty. She was wonderful, but saw me as little more than just a troublesome youngling. It was years before she even started to look at me differently. Decades."

"That's an awfully long time to chase after someone." The younger drake remarked.

"It was worth every second I spent with her, though." Sighed the elder. Smaug's eyes became softer than Natsu had ever remembered them to be. "Don't take the moments you have with someone precious to you for granted, Natsu. Don't allow your feelings to be restrained by rules or standards. Be true to yourself, keep your heart safe, but if you should ever come to love someone, tell them, and tell them from the very whole of your being."

He took the words to heart. Natsu had never seen Smaug so serene, and he doubted anyone other than Smaug's mate had seen this side of him either.

"Why tell me this?" Natsu had to ask. "I know this is important, but…you strike me as the last person who would talk about feelings to anyone."

Smaug turned his head and fixed Natsu with a look that the younger drake couldn't quite place. The old dragon's voice grew low, just low enough so that only he could hear it. "Because my mate and I were never able to have hatchlings of our own. But if I might say so, you are the very image of the child we wanted to have."

Those two simple sentences almost overwhelmed Natsu with their intensity. He dropped his gaze, feeling very unworthy of such a thing. "I…I don't know what to say…"

"That is a first." Snorted Smaug, whose tail twitched only slightly. He turned his gaze back to the city and rumbled again. "Go find your human now. She asked about you earlier, and I'm certain she'd like to know that you're alright."

Natsu nodded and made to leave, but paused and asked one more thing. "Smaug? What was her name?"

"Her name?" Smaug didn't turn back and instead let out a low sigh that Natsu almost didn't catch.

"Her name was Gwendolyn."

Lucy was surprised when she found Natsu in his human form at her door. He seemed happy, but troubled at the same time. She invited him in quickly.

"Is something wrong?"

Natsu cracked a grin. "So you were worried. Smaug thought so. He told me I should check in with you. Sorry I stormed off the other day. The old drake and I were pushing each others' buttons and took it too far."

"Lisanna told me." Lucy swore she saw him tense just the slightest. She wouldn't have noticed if not for her bond with him.

"I figured as much." Natsu had his hands shoved into his pockets, but Lucy could imagine them clenched into fists right about now. "Can I get something to drink? Water?"

She smiled brightly. "Sure!"

He followed her to the kitchen and waited as she got him the drink he'd asked for. Lucy waited as he took a long draught and giggled a bit when he sighed in satisfaction.

"That hit the spot. Thanks."

"No problem. So what's up? I know you wanted to check in with me, but there's something else on your mind, isn't there?"

Natsu set the glass down on the counter and glanced sideways. (Are the others here as well?)

(They are…talk to me, Natsu. What's bothering you?)

(…I trust you, Lucy.)

(Don't scare me like that.)

(Haha…you know, your mother is right about me…)

(She's right about what?)

(I want something I'm forbidden to have. But I'm going to try anyways.)

(Of course you are. You're Natsu. You wouldn't be you if you didn't break the rules. You rogue fireball.)

(I won't deny that.)

(So? What are you waiting for? Will you tell me what it is?)

(…you'll get an idea of it tonight if you keep your mind open…)

With that last thought, he shut the conversation off and proceeded to leave the building. Lucy watched him go off and blinked thoughtfully. She wondered when it was that Natsu had come to trust her like this. It had to have been recently. Despite being bonded for over two months now, he was slow to give her any sort of serious trust with his thoughts and desires.

She smiled and happiness radiated through her. It didn't matter if Natsu might be an ancient dragon species with the literal force of a natural apocalypse brimming in his body. It didn't matter if he was wild, violent, and annoying sometimes. They were opposites that somehow complemented each other rather perfectly.

Lucy thought about her dragon partner and giggled as a humorous thought came to her mind. They could quite literally be soul mates.

So she took her dragons words to heart and kept her mind open throughout the night.

Lisanna was about to fly to back to the Thunder Hall when she caught sight of Natsu flying overhead in the darkness. It was easy to spot him if one looked because he had a habit of breathing out little puffs of flame now and again. She frowned at the sight. He was obviously thinking about something very hard.

He only did that when something was troubling him.

She flew up to him and was quickly noticed by the crimson and black male. He glanced at her and motioned slightly to the forest across the lake. Lisanna had no idea what was so important that they couldn't talk now, but she nodded and followed him.

Once he landed, Natsu took on his human form and she mimicked him to face the young drake. She frowned again when he didn't turn to face her.

"Natsu?"

"I want to go back to the waterfall cave."

She was surprised by the idea. "Why?"

"Because it's the place that I met you. I miss it."

"Miss it?"

"Yes. I miss the freedom, miss just the two of us flying around…I miss being so close to you."

Lisanna stiffened. "Natsu…"

He turned around to face her and she had no idea what to make of the expression on his face. It was an overwhelming battle of emotions- trust, fear, longing, apprehension, patience, frustration, and-

Her heart stopped for a moment. She dared not think it. She dared not put a name to that tiny glimmer she could see in his eyes, that glimpse so small that she wondered if he himself was aware of it.

"I want to try." Natsu murmured to her, in a way that could not and would not be misunderstood.

She slowly shook her head, barely managing to choke out a response. "We can't…Natsu, we…this is…"

"Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't want to."

When she realized what he'd said, terror leapt into the blue of her eyes. He knew. Somehow, Natsu knew that she had feelings for him. Feelings that were entirely forbidden for her to have. Her mind went absolutely blank.

Lisanna almost staggered backwards in an effort to put some distance between them and gasped when her heel caught a rock. Before she could fall, Natsu moved swift as a snake and wrapped his arm around her waist, keeping her up and pulling her against him. Her hands just barely managed to find his chest and keep some distance between them.

Their faces were inches apart.

His eyes were determined, but soft, and it was the gentleness of that fiery gaze that made her forget how to breathe. When he spoke, his voice was low and calming.

"You're afraid."

It wasn't a question. She hardly stammered out a response. "Natsu, th-this can't ever end well. Even if I- if we- we'd be dancing with the devil!"

"I've danced with him already." Natsu replied. "He was more dangerous than this."

A moment was all she needed to know he was talking about Acnologia. "This is not the same as a fight! What'll happen if someone finds out? Do you know what happens to the ones who break this law?!"

"I'm not afraid of them." He told her. "I'm afraid of not being who I am. Those old dragons might have my allegiance, but they do not own my heart. That fire is mine, and mine alone, but I want to try and share it with you."

She couldn't believe he was saying this to her and a part of her demanded that she give him exactly what he wanted right then and there. Here was a chance to be with someone she honestly cared for as more than a friend. But the sensible part of her was screaming that this could only end in pain and heartbreak for both of them.

"This will destroy us…" Lisanna breathed, all-too aware of the fact that his face was still only inches away from hers.

"I won't let it." Natsu promised, with a strength that almost made her believe him on the spot. He wasn't done. "I want to try…if..if it doesn't work out between us, then we'll part ways I guess…but I want to try so badly with you. No one else. Just you, Lisanna…Let me try…"

She looked down, away from those dark eyes that were letting her emotions run riot. Her face ended up being buried in his neck, burning with embarrassment and fear. She flinched when his hand rested at her back, scared of the contact despite wanting it more than anything else.

Natsu could sense her fear hadn't diminished and lowered his voice again. "I'm going to the waterfall in a week…"

He pulled back slightly and lifted his hands to cup her cheeks. She looked absolutely terrified and knew exactly what he was going to say.

"If you decide you want to give me a chance…meet me there."

"Natsu…we can't…" She whimpered, reaching up to clutch his right hand in her left tightly. "You and I…"

"We can, Lisanna. I've already made up my mind…" His fingers took her chin gently. Dark eyes transfixed her blue and left her absolutely breathless.

"What happens next is your choice. But I have to do this at least once."

His lips captured hers then, fierce and delicate all at once. Lisanna's eyes fluttered shut and she couldn't help but kiss him back. It was simple, but perfect and she wanted time to just stop. To just let her stay in this moment and never allow her to worry about rules or traditions or the forbidden relationship she had with this fiery drake ever again.

When he pulled back from her mouth, she was dazed and breathless and wanted so badly to grab his face and bring him in for another kiss, but he stepped away. Natsu gave her one last, longing look, one that gave away how badly he truly wanted to stay. But before he could second guess himself, he turned back into a dragon and quickly flew off, crimson scales glittering in the silver moonlight.

Lisanna was left in the silent forest, bringing up her fingers to touch her lips. They still burned with his warmth and she couldn't stop the ridiculously huge smile on her face even as tears pricked at her eyes. There was no constraining the torrent of thoughts and emotions roiling through her.

Oh, you stupid hothead…You're completely unfair…

I'm such a fool for thinking this could work out.

How can I not try after everything you said?

This isn't going to have a happy ending.

How can I not try after you kissed me?

I know my heart will be broken.

How can I not just try?

I won't survive.

I want to try.

I cannot.

I will.


	31. Decisions

**I want to start off by saying that I'm sorry for the very long wait for this update. I blame the writers' block and life getting in the way. Second, I would like to say a big thank you to Darkfire1220 for creating the previous chapters and allowing me to adopt his story. Now I would like to officially welcome you all to the first chapter of the continuation of 'Dragonearth,' and as always, please review, and thanks for reading!**

Chapter 31: Decisions

Since intended for draconic use, the Fairy Tail Thunder Hall was naturally big. The hollowed-out mountain's Great Hall is a vast cave that has a high ceiling that can allow for a dragon to stand at full height or even hover a little off the ground and is wide enough to accommodate all of the dragons of the Thunder to be present and still have room left over.

Since the Thunder Hall's intended for dragons, it had been clear of obstacles, so the dragons have room to live. However, that doesn't mean that it has nothing in it. Even though built for dragons, the Hall was still open for all of the people of Magnolia to come and go as they pleased, though few ever did. When humans did stay for more extended periods, there were tables built into an alcove that was the right size for any human visitors.

Inside this alcove, there were several tables made of stone. Each table was about three feet tall and had enough room for six people to sit on. The tables are spread out around the alcove, to give each table both space and privacy. The entire place looked like an indoor picnic area. As such, Lucy and the two dragonelles were the only ones there.

"Wow, Luce, these new chapters you wrote are amazing. The character development has progressed so much since the last time you let me read it, but I like it. It really adds a depth of character to the entire story. Plus that twist in the middle, I totally didn't see it coming!" exclaimed Levy, in her humanized form, while holding Lucy's manuscript.

Lucy's cheeks turned slightly pink at her friends' compliment. "Thank you so much, Levy. Finding good inspiration hasn't been hard with all that's been happening recently."

"And I'm sure that fishing trip with Dragion wasn't any help at all, right?" Levy said in a teasing voice with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"I-I wouldn't go th-that far," Lucy stammers as her face turns from light pink to dark red. "I-it did help me get over my writers' block at least. Anyway *cough*, what do you think of the book Wendy?"

Wendy, who had been sitting with the two girls this whole time, looked up from her copy of the manuscript and said, "This is amazing, Lucy. I may not be as far into your book as Levy is, I really like it, and I'd like to read more if I can."

"Of course you can read more, Wendy. You can read as much of my work as you would want."

"Thanks, Lucy. By the way, I was wondering why you started writing these stories in the first place? I'm confused about why a human would want to since they don't live very long."

Lucy looked over at Levy as her face morphed into one of nostalgia that the dragonelle mirrored.

"Well, Wendy, it's a long story from a long time ago. It was well over a decade ago, a few years before you and the others started raiding our territory as a matter of fact, when I was still just a little girl. When I was little, I was very hyper and full of energy, always running around the house, crashing into stuff and causing my parents to worry.

"It was especially hard to calm me down when it was dark and time for bed. No matter what anyone did, it was impossible to calm me down. The only thing that ever worked was the storybook legends my mother would tell me before bed. I always loved hearing those legendary stories about heroes fighting ancient monsters and villains with the help of their dragon friends and the guidance of the spirits.

"Back then, I hadn't gone up to the Thunder Hall and met everyone yet…"

"Yeah, cause Layla didn't think that she could handle a young Lucy running wild with a bunch of huge dragons walking around that might step on her by accident." Levy interrupted with a small laugh at the memory.

That caused Lucy to stiffen and blush while it made Wendy giggle behind her hand.

"*cough*…Anyway, back to what I was saying, since I hadn't met everyone yet, all I had to look forward to was that book of stories. They always made me so happy when I heard them and made me want to be involved in one of those adventures. I became so fascinated by those old stories that going on an experience like that became my dream.

"So one day, after reading that book again, I somehow worked up the courage to go up to my mom and ask her to teach me how to be a Spirit Priestess. She was surprised at first, but after she learned why it was that I wanted to learn, she was more than willing to teach me, and the training wasn't by any means easy. But learning how to be a Spirit Priestess was something that I needed to learn to fulfill my dream.

"After a few years, just after I turned ten actually, my parents finally thought that I was old enough to go and visit the dragons in the Thunder Hall. I was ecstatic to finally be able to meet the dragons that lived with us. We left early and made our way up the mountainside to the entrance to the Thunder Hall. When we got up there, we ran into Makarov and Erza in their human forms as they were walking out on their way down to the town, and I recognized them from when they visited our house sometimes.

"Walking in, I was amazed by all of the different dragons that were there. There were so many there that I was mesmerized for a moment, and I forgot why I was there. It only lasted for a second, though, because I was running around like a headless chicken as I tried to make as many dragon friends as I could, and that's how I met Levy." Lucy said as she looked over at her friend with a fond look.

"It was funny watching her run around, so I tried to go up to her to try and stop her. I failed. But I got her to stop long enough so we could start talking," Levy said while returning Lucy's fond look with one of her own. "It was amazing. It was almost like we were born to be best friends; we hit it off so well after only just meeting."

"After that, we spent so much time together doing anything we could think of doing. We would play games like tag and hide-n-seek over by the pond when Levy was in her human form. It wasn't that long after that we learned that some towns were raided in our territory by rogue dragons."

Wendy sweatdropped and turned her head with a nervous laugh.

"Sometimes, I would even offer to take her flying with me since I had just gotten my wings, but she was always too afraid."

"Wait, Lucy, does that mean you're scared of heights?" Wendy asked in a surprised voice.

"No, not anymore. I got over that a long time ago when mom made Erza take me flying." Lucy explained.

"We would also talk about anything and everything we could think of," the dragonelle said, continuing the story, "but what we probably did more than anything was reading books together. We would spend hours at a time doing nothing but reading together."

"That's how my writing career started, with the two of us reading books. It was when Levy and I were reading together in my room. I was reading my favorite book, the one with the legends, when Levy asked me "why I read that book so often," so I told her about my dream to go on an adventure."

"I was astounded and impressed when I heard her dream. We weren't any older than twelve years old, and she wanted to go on an amazing adventure. I asked her what she wanted to do during her dream, and she told me this wild story. When she finished, I thought it was excellent, and I told her that she should write it down."

"I ended up listening to her and wrote my dream down on paper. After I finished writing it, I gave my complete story to my mom and Levy to read, and I haven't stopped writing since." Lucy finished her story with a happy look on her face.

"Wow, Lucy, that was such a nice story," Wendy said.

Lucy was about to respond to Wendy's praise when she noticed that Mira was walking over towards their table, humanizing as she walked.

"Have any of you seen Lisanna? I haven't seen her all day, and I can't seem to find her anywhere." Mira asked as she walked up to the three girls.

The two dragonelles shook their heads no, but Lucy said yes. She had seen the Tigress Dragonelle as she made her way up the mountain.

"Yeah, I thought I saw her flying outside when I got here."

"She's outside? Doing what?" Mira asked, confused.

"Just flying around the mountain in circles, I think. She looked like she was thinking about something pretty hard. I don't know if she's still up there, though. She might have flown off somewhere else."

"Why don't we go check on her?" Wendy offered, standing up from the table, "maybe she could use our help?"

The three girls glance at each other for a moment and shrug. Lucy and Levy stood up from the table as well, and the four made their way towards the entrance to the Thunder Hall.

Upon arriving, they turn their gaze to the sky to see the Tigress Dragonelle still circling the mountain. Even from down on the ground, it was apparent that something was bothering the young dragonelle greatly. The four girls stood there for a while in silence, watching their friend circle the mountain they called home.

"It does look like she's thinking about something pretty hard," Levy said, breaking the silence that fell over them, "It's kind of strange, she never used to go flying all on her own, unless it was to hunt."

"That's true. Lisanna's been acting a lot differently lately. Like she's always distracted over something." Mira said.

"Really? How did she act before?" Wendy asked.

"She used to wear her feelings on her wing, you could always tell what she was feeling at any given moment," Lucy explained, "She didn't like it when the people she cared about, whether dragon or human, got hurt. So whenever an argument started in the Hall or if dragons from another Thunder wanted a fight, she would try everything she could to stop the fighting. She also used to be so understanding. Like if someone were annoying others, she would try to get them to stop being annoying."

"And if something were bothering her, she would always talk with Mira or me or someone else from the Thunder," Levy added.

"Yeah, and now she's been acting secretive, she participated in the fight with Jose, and she's snapped at people when they do something stupid or are annoying." Mira finished.

"You know, now that I think of it, she didn't start acting differently till about a month or so before Wendy, and the others came to the Thunder. And she's been spending a lot of time with Natsu recently. I wonder if there's a connection." Levy pointed out.

Lucy bites her lip as the memories of Lisanna's past with Natsu comes to mind from what Levy said.

"I doubt that there's a connection between those two, and besides, we shouldn't get involved in their personal lives. It isn't any of our business."

"Lucy, aren't you concerned with how Lisanna has been acting?"

"Maybe a little, but I'm sure she has a good reason for it."

"If she does have a good reason for how she's been acting, then I want to hear it." Mira interrupts, "Why don't we just go ask them."

"Mira, I really don't…"

Lucy's concerns fall on deaf ears as Mira reverts to her dragon form. The Demon Dragonelle took off and hovered in front of the others, turning to look at them.

"Levy, why don't you come with me to talk with Lisanna. Wendy, Lucy, why don't you go talk with Natsu."

Levy and Wendy nodded while Lucy just sighed in defeat.

(Natsu, if you're awake, Wendy and I are coming to talk to you about Lisanna.) Lucy told Natsu through their link.

(Why are you doing something so pointless?) Natsu sent back.

(Because Mira and Levy are concerned about how she's acting and they figured out that you have something to do with it.)

(How the hell did they figure that out? I thought we were careful.)

(Obviously not careful enough. Now, Mira and Levy are going to talk with Lisanna, and they're making Wendy, and I talk with you,)

(*Sigh* fine. I was getting ready to leave, so let's make this quick. I'll try to throw them off a little. You try to do the same.) Natsu said, ending their mental conversation.

/\/\/\/\/\

The two girls made their way over to Natsu's cave. It was easy to find the Fire Drake's cave since it had scorch marks all around it.

Walking in, Wendy expected to find Natsu still asleep in his cave, snoring louder than an avalanche. But what they found was the drake wide awake and looking like he was preparing to leave.

Wendy reverted to her dragon form and padded up to the larger dragon, "Are you going somewhere, Natsu?"

"I'm just going hunting Wendy, nothing major. So, what's up?"

"We were talking with Mira and Levy about Lisanna's behavior, and Levy noticed that something was going on with you two."

Natsu tried to act surprised and confused by what Wendy told him, "I haven't noticed anything weird about Lisanna lately. What did Levy see that made her think something was going on with us?"

Lucy strode further into the cave to stand near Wendy's side, "She noticed that the two of you have been spending a lot of time together, anything you want to tell us?"

Lucy winked at her dragon partner to show that she was just putting on an act as they agreed. Natsu inwardly sighed at his partner's bad acting.

"Guys, we're just friends. The Thunder doesn't let us be anything different, remember?" Natsu said with a hint of irritation in his voice.

"I guess you're right, but then why are you spending so much time with her?" Wendy asked, still pressing the issue.

"I'm allowed to spend time with my friends, right?" Natsu responded, trying to throw the young dragonelle off.

Feeling that the conversation had ended, Natsu lightly flicks the little dragonelle with his tail playfully and strides out of his cave.

Jumping down into the Great Hall, the drake walks over towards Erza.

"Hey Erza, let the old drake know that I'm going hunting for a while 'kay."

The Blade Dragonelle looked at him in bewilderment, "You know Smaug isn't going to like that you're skipping out on training to go eat. Why don't you go tell him yourself?"

"Because he seems to like you better. If he asks, tell him that I'm not going to take any more moments for granted. He'll know what I mean by that."

With that, he extended his wings and took off out of the Thunder Hall, passing a certain Tigress Dragonelle, her sister, and her friend as he went.

Lisanna…

/\/\/\/\/\

While the others were talking about her, Lisanna had a little internal debate going on.

I want to go and join Natsu at the waterfall cave.

If I go, I'll be taking a pretty big risk that I can't take back.

But if I don't go, then I'll regret it for the rest of my life.

But if I do go and we're found out, there will be severe consequences for both of us.

Who cares if there are consequences, I care about the hothead and isn't that what's important?

But what about Mira and Elfman? If we're found out, it won't just hurt me and Natsu but them too.

It's just like Layla said, don't we all deserve to find love as much as the leaders do?

Layla isn't a dragon. She doesn't know how high the consequences of this choice could be on the Thunder, Natsu, and me.

But after all that the two of us have been through, all the moments we've shared, the kiss we had, it wouldn't be right not to try to be with him.

I know I'll get my heartbroken. It isn't a possibility. It's almost guaranteed.

Natsu said that rules are only a suggestion, and he's right. It's not about rules, it is about our hearts, and my heart is telling me to try.

Even if…

Lisanna couldn't finish her thought as she was interrupted by her sister and Levy flying into her path. The three dragonelles stopped in midair in front of each other. They stayed there in midair, staring at each other for a moment before Mira gave a quick jerk of her head towards the mountaintop and took off in that direction, followed closely by Levy.

Upon reaching the ledge at the peak, the dragonelles reverted to their human forms to talk.

"What's going on, Mira, Levy? Is something the matter?" Lisanna asked in confusion. In their human forms, Lisanna was able to see the troubled looks that the two were giving her.

"Lisanna, we're concerned about how you've been acting lately," Mira said bluntly.

A confused look comes over Lisanna's face, "What are you talking about, Mira?"

"You have been acting differently lately, Lisanna. Even Lucy has noticed, and it's starting to worry us." Levy said as she stepped closer to her friend.

"I don't know what you're talking about Levy. I've been acting the same as I always have." Lisanna replied, sweat starting to form on her brow.

"No, you haven't. You haven't for a while now, and it's becoming more obvious by the day. You're hiding something Lis, and it's about time you stop hiding from your friends."

Oh gods, did they figure out what's been going on with Natsu and me? I thought I was hiding it so well.

"Levy, really, I'm not hiding anything. You guys are worrying about nothing." Lisanna said before turning back into a dragon and flying away.

Lisanna hoped that would be the end of that conversation, but Mira was having none of it. She and Levy became dragons again and followed the Tigress Dragonelle, determined to get to the bottom of what Lisanna was hiding.

Mira circled in front of her sister and stopped her again in the air, "We're not done talking, Lisanna."

Lisanna tried to turn around but found Levy at her back, boxing her in. Seeing that she was trapped, Lisanna turned back to her sister to continue their conversation.

"You never used to hide things from us, Lisanna, and now that's all you seem to be doing. Please, tell us what's going on, I promise that we'll listen to whatever you have to say and anything you say will stay between us." Mira pleaded.

It was at that moment that Natsu flew past the trio heading south. Even after he passed, Lisanna kept her gaze on the retreating form of the Fire Drake.

"Does it have something to do with Natsu?" Levy asked with a knowing voice.

Lisanna was startled at the question and turned toward her friend. Lisanna opened her mouth to respond but hesitated.

That hesitation was all the two needed to conclude an answer.

"I promise you, there is nothing wrong, and it has nothing to do with Natsu," Lisanna said finally before flying back into the Thunder Hall and going straight into her cave to continue the debate from earlier.

The others are starting to figure it out. If that isn't a sign that this is a bad idea, then I don't know what is.

It doesn't matter. I still want to follow Natsu to the waterfall cave.

Even if it means getting hurt in the process?

Yes. I know it's risky, but nothing of worth comes without a level of risk.

But what if the risk is too great? If things go wrong, I could lose the only home I've ever known.

But if I stay at the Thunder, then Natsu will hate me, and I might lose the only chance I'll ever have at being happy.

I'll be happy staying with the Thunder and my family. I want to find love more than anything, but not if it means losing everything I care about in my life.

Can I really call that happiness? By living each day of my life regretting giving up my chance at love? I'd rather take the opportunity to be happy than to be miserable.

I'd rather be miserable than alone.

But I won't be alone. I'll have Natsu, and even if I can't see them every day, I'll never lose Mira and Elfman.

And what happens if things don't work out with Natsu? I'll have given up everything for nothing.

This choice is too hard to make. No matter what I choose, I'll end up losing something important to me.

At that, Lisanna decided that she had better go to sleep. While she was still debating, it had gotten quite late. Laying down in her nest, Lisanna drifted off to sleep with one thought in her head.

What am I going to do?

/\/\/\/\/\

The next day was almost exactly similar to the day before. Lisanna woke up early and spent the entire day flying around the Thunder Hall, debating what she was going to choose. Mira and Levy interrupted her debate again to try and get her to spill her secrets.

This time, however, they brought Elfman with them, and none of them were taking "I'm fine," and "I'm not hiding anything," for an answer. It got so bad that Lisanna had to fly down to Magnolia, turn into a human, and outrun her friend and her siblings all day just to get a little privacy to continue the debate. But at the end of the day, Lisanna had made her decision.

Just wait for me Natsu, I'll be there soon!

/\/\/\/\/\

When Lisanna woke up the next day, it was barely light out. She was much too excited and nervous to get much sleep, so she was ready to leave quickly. She made her way out of her cave and down into the Great Hall to see that Mira was the only one awake at this hour.

Just my luck.

"Mira, I'm going hunting for a few days, let master Makarov know please," Lisanna said before walking to the entrance. She wanted to leave quickly so her sister couldn't stop her with a bombardment of questions.

Mira did nothing but nod as she watched her sister leave. After chasing and losing Lisanna in the streets of Magnolia, Mira realized that Lucy was right. She was invading her sister's privacy, and she needed to stop. She trusts her sister. That should be enough.

Lisanna was confused about why her sister would just let her leave like this when she was chasing her the past two days, but she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Leaping from the ground, she was just about to fly outside, when she ran face-first into a runic barrier that appeared in the doorway.

"The hell…" Lisanna cursed as she went reeling from hitting the barrier.

"Lisanna, what happened?" Mira called in a shocked and concerned voice as she ran to her sister's side.

"She ran into my magic." a voice called out as a black and green dragon rounded a corner from outside the Hall.

At fifty-five feet long, this dragon towered over both dragonelles considerably. He had thick, square scales that covered him from head to tail that were as black as ink, with claws and teeth as sharp as any dagger. The drake had a wild mane of emerald green hair from its head to the base of its tail. The tail was unique. Long and thin with a sword-like tip with silver feathers just behind it that made it look like a quill. At the head, his right eye was a mass of scars that kept the eye shut, the drake's left eye was narrow and sharp as he glared at the sisters. On top of his head were two horns that looked like lightning bolts on either side of his mane that seemed to be of the same emerald color. The wings were like a bat's with its webbing the color of the scales.

"Freed."


End file.
